Frosted Crowns, Frozen Hearts
by CharmedSkye92
Summary: The Kingdoms of Verona and Guardia have been sworn enemies for nearly two decades, until one of the Princes of Guardia offers the Princess of Verona a marriage contract. Duty bound she agrees to the terms, but as she gets to know her husband-to-be, she finds that not everything she has been told about the 'wicked Kingdom of Guardia' is true. Eventual Jack/Aqua
1. The Messenger

Aqua was seated next to the king and her younger brother – Vanitas. They had gathered in the throne room. A messenger had come from the neighboring kingdom in the night, waiting outside the front gate. He had insisted time and time again to the guards he had a message for the king and would only speak to him. He even willingly handed over all of his weapons which only consisted of an odd shepherd's hook.

The news had sent the entire castle a buzz. The Kingdom of Guardia had been their sworn enemy for decades. Bloody wars had been waged. Countless lives lost. The cause of the war was King Xehanort's distaste for magic. In the Kingdom of Verona, use of magic was cause for death. He sought knowledge through science, not through arcane means.

Because what had magic caused except heartache?

"Now announcing Jackson Overland Frost of Kingdom Guardia!"

Aqua didn't know what to think. The man who walked in looked more like a traveler than a messenger. A brown cloak hid the rest of him from view but he had startlingly white hair and blue eyes that reminded Aqua of a cloudless day. Everything about him stood out. People in Verona didn't look like him. She was an exception. Her blue hair stood out and she longed to have beautiful browns or blondes like everyone else. But that would require magic, something her father forbade.

The messenger _pranced_ into the throne room with confidence. Aqua spared a wary glance to her father. If there was one thing he loathed, it was disrespect. The man seemed to pick up on it so he stopped a decent distance away from the King and his children before bowing deeply. Once her father nodded, the man rose once more. He looked oddly amused by the situation, as if he knew something they didn't. Aqua assumed it was just some Guardia trickery or something. But the man's eyes lingered on her. She felt herself looking away.

"Greetings from My King," the young man said.

"What news?" Xehanort asked.

"So inhospitable. No one ever offered to take my cloak," he tittered.

The tension in the room was palpable. The messenger's attempt at humor did nothing to break it up. The youth sighed and straightened up. His eyes caught Aqua and for a moment their gaze held. Her breath caught and she forced herself to look away and tentatively look back when he gaze wasn't directed on her specifically. It had been like a shock had run through her entire being.

"My name is Jackson. I have been sent on behalf of My King. He would would like to propose a truce between our people."

Xehanort had little patience for having his time wasted. The entire room seemed to grow tense. Jackson seemed to notice and bit back a smirk. He seemed all too amused with the way the situation was going on. Aqua had to school her expression to keep from giving away her surprise. An armistice between the two countries would end so much suffering, so much bloodshed. Their people could heal, go back to farming, the economy could prosper again and people would be happy for the first time in so very long.

"And the King couldn't be bothered to negotiate these terms himself?" Xehanort sneered.

"The King expected you to shoot me on sight," Jackson replied, not bothering to hide his smirk.

"Very well. Spit it out, boy. Or we might flog you for your cheek."

Aqua scowled. Xehanort was a harsh man. Cruel even. He once told a young witch who had been caught in their lands that she didn't deserve the right to live because of what she was. Her capabilities in magic forfeit that right. Vanitas and Aqua had only been children at the time when one of the servants broke the woman out of the dungeons. They went on the run but were caught by Aqua on the way out. They had hastily explained they were in love and the witch was pregnant with their child. She had hastened into action that night, grabbing as much food from the kitchens as she could carry and even paying one of the guards for his horse. She had secured their passage and they went out into the night. Luckily, her father had never found out or she would have been flogged.

"The Crown Prince would like to ask your hand in marriage, Princess Aquamarine."

"Fine. Take her."

In an instant it drew shocked gasps from the members of the court; even the guards looked taken aback. Aqua felt like the very breath had been knocked from her. Everyone stared at the King in shock. He just dismissed everything Jackson said, was trading her off like cattle to his enemies. It was like her life meant nothing. That she was only a bargaining chip. As if the war hadn't been waging like a hurricane, sweeping a path of devastation in it's path. Aqua could not contain her surprise. She gasped softly.

"The offer isn't yours, King Xehanort. It's Princes Aquamarine's." Jackson reminded, like a parent scolding a child. "My Lady?"

Jackson was offering _her_ the choice. The thought nearly made her dizzy. Had she been standing, she might have collapsed. Jackson was going around the King who normally made these arrangements. She was supposed to be submissive and quiet. She was only supposed to speak when spoken to. Certainly not when men like Jackson came in with an out of the blue marriage proposal.

Jackson was looking directly at her, waiting for her response. She was of marrying age, actually, well past it. For some reason, Xehanort had turned down suitors left and right. The Crown Prince of a kingdom they had been at war at wanted to marry her. She wasn't sure if she could go through with something like that. She had never met the Prince. Didn't even know what he was like. Or if he would be a kind husband.

"Father, you can't just hand her over like cattle! He has given us no proof this is a true offer!"

"Silence!" Xehanort roared.

The Crown Prince fell silent. Aqua stared at her father, clearly betrayed. No thought of her safety or well-being, no attempt to even renegotiate. Just sending her way, just like that. He was discarding her like she was worn parchment. Aqua looked to her family. Because she was a woman, she would have no claim to the throne. She was a spare. She was meant to be wedded off to an alliance of most benefit to the kingdom. However, she didn't see more benefit than ending the war between Verona and Guardia.

Vanitas would be King someday. He was young and still had time before he needed to wed. Hopefully, with time, he would mellow out, learn where his duties lie. Though, their father King Xehanort was getting older. He shook his head, trying to silently plead with her to reconsider. He would lose his best friend, his oldest guide and loving sister. She would lose the little brother who made her laugh when she felt like crying, the one who made sure she didn't take herself too seriously and brought light to her life in their bleak little kingdom.

As much as she wanted to throw herself into her brother's arms and cry, she couldn't. She was the Princess. She couldn't just throw a tantrum and the choice be tossed aside. Wars have been fought for less. She didn't want to go. She loved her family. She loved her home. But what choice did she have?

Her eyes moved to the King. He seemed agitated that she was actually thinking this over. That she needed to make the choice. She let out a shudder of a breath, willing back tears. She had to be strong. She slowly, stiffly turned back to Jack, dread seeping into her very being. She had to do this. For her people. A Princess didn't marry for love, despite all the stories that said that they did.

"I accept the terms."


	2. The Contract

"I accept the terms."

"Very good!" Jackson enthused. "I am happy to hear it. My King will be too."

Jackson bounded up to her throne, the guards seemed torn between reaching for their blades or stopping him. Aqua quickly held out her hand. If this messenger meant any harm, she would be dead, right? Clearly he wouldn't start an international incident in the throne room. He couldn't hide the boyish enthusiasm in his grin. Aqua swallowed thickly. She inhaled slowly.

"How soon can you depart?"

"Can't I say goodbye?" she asked softly.

Vanitas quickly stood, placing his hand on Aqua's forearm. He had already spoken against his father once, but he was not about to let his sister go without a fight. And Vanitas would fight. He had been itching for one since he grew old enough to start training by the sword. It was the most protective that Aqua had ever seen Vanitas get over her since they were kids. Sympathy flashed through Jackson's eyes. Vanitas wasn't the emotional type, but she knew what was raging through Vanitas' mind. She knew her brother.

"I do need to go and get our men," he mused. "And you'd need to pack."

Aqua nodded. _Our_ men. The thought made her shiver. It only proved that she had literally just handed herself off to the neighboring kingdom. But she was the princess, she couldn't let it show. Nevertheless, Aqua was grateful he wasn't just going to yank her away without letting her have a moment. Granted, she had easily agreed to the terms, even if it was for the betterment of her people. So she supposed she deserved it if the rug was yanked out beneath her.

"I'll be back by morning."

"W-Wait, I'd like a contract," she said. "Explaining the terms of this... arrangement."

The messenger seemed concerned but then nodded. She didn't think her request was too much to ask for. They _were_ warring nations after all. This was as much for her country as it was for his. They needed to make sure that no one was going to go back on their word and they had the terms laid out plain and clear for everyone to see. The war would end with their union. No one would continue fighting.

"I'll make arrangements for one to be drafted and I'll get the Prince's signature." he reassured her.

"Thank you."

The man bowed deeply to her.

* * *

She was quickly bustled out of the throne room by her brother, away from their father's cold glare. His grip was so tight on her arm it would leave bruises. Once they were safely in her rooms, she pulled away from Vanitas. She let out a shaky breath before smoothing her hair back. She couldn't show how upset she was about the turn of events. She could not waver in her decision making or show Vanitas that she did not want this. He would have done something reckless to prevent it from happening. Like sentence the messenger to the gallows. Vanitas meant well, but it would only spur the war further into escalation.

"Aqua, what are you thinking? They're savages! They'll kill you." Vanitas protested. "We can't trust them."

She looked down at the bag she was packing, something she knew she could carry. It had a handful of dresses already, along with only her absolute favorite jewelry pieces. She didn't know what her husband-to-be would be providing for her. Because he was receiving no dowry for marrying her. He had made the demand for her hand. She walked over to her bookshelf. She adored her books, cherished them even. Deciding which ones to bring would be the hardest decision she supposed. But she felt like she had to pack her things up, which was why she had sent the servants away.

"If I refused, it could have made fighting worse. We can't spit in the face of an alliance." Aqua replied tactfully.

"I know... but... how do we even know we can trust them? That this isn't a ruse to take you and hold you against the kingdom?" Vanitas pointed out.

Aqua smiled sadly. She stopped her packing and reached out to run a hand over Vanitas' face. This was the first time since they were kids that he had gotten this emotional. The first time he had shown he cared in a long time. He was right. It could very well be a trap, but she was the spare. The useless sibling. The girl. She would never inherit power. If not to Guardia, she would have been married off to some other Prince who would have either brought armies or something the Kingdom needed. She would be pushing out kids for the throne.

Princesses didn't get a happily ever after like the servants did. She knew from a young age she would never marry for love. Their mother hadn't loved her father. It was a marriage of benefits. Her mother's kingdom had been annexed into Xehanort's control upon the marriage. She supposed that her father could only hope the same would happen with Aqua's marriage to the Prince of Guardia. She doubted it. Things were far too tense. They had finally just called a stalemate in fighting. And Verona was still close minded about magic.

She would be alone in a kingdom surrounded by magic users. Who hated Veronians like her. It would be a wonder if she even made it to the castle without being attacked for being the Princess of Verona. The two countries blamed each other for the war. Guardia said that Verona attacked first, and Verona said it was the opposite. Her father insisted Guardia drew first blood. She could only hope that the Prince would send guards to protect their convoy. Because her father wasn't going to spare men to go to Guardia.

"Vanitas, you're going to be King someday," she reminded him. "You're going to have to make tough decisions for our people."

"We can figure a way out of this!" he tried to reason.

Aqua shook her head. His sentiments were sweet but again, he had to get used to decisions he didn't like. He couldn't go to war just because he didn't agree with something another monarch was doing. It was an odd thing to realize, but because of their status they had both more and less rights than the average citizen. They were expected to act certain ways. Do certain things. Say the right things. Always look out for their people... But who would look out for them?

"Even if you come for me, what then?" Aqua asked him. "Would you fight them? Cost our people even more lives lost for just me?"

Her life was a small price to pay for saving their people. Vanitas sneered. He hated the fact that he would rule one day. Vanitas was a youth ruled by his emotions. Easily swayed to anger or hatred. He held onto his grudges and refused to let go. He had a hard time accepting he could be wrong. But it happened. They weren't stopping this no matter how hard they tried.

* * *

She waited in the throne room for the messenger to come back. Her heart could not have raced any faster than it was in her chest. Aqua's hands were tightly clasped in front of her to prevent their shaking. Vanitas stood close. Her normally aloof and standoffish brother was acting protective for once. She could only be thankful that he was even there and not at the warfront so that she could say goodbye to him at all. It was preferable to the frosty reception her father gave her over breakfast. Who only asked if she had packed and then grunted in response.

She had been late to her first meal of the day because she had been stopped by servants along her way to the dining room. They offered their condolences and their goodbyes. Some of which she had to struggle not to cry over. One or two servants had even offered to whisk her away. She was touched by the sentiments. She tried to give them as much time as she could. She had grown up with some of these people after all. Even now as the servants stood behind her, that if she expressed the slightest doubt they would fight Guardia again. Not as a kingdom fighting another kingdom and their monarch, but as friends fighting for a friend.

Her stomach dropped when a lookout announced a carriage riding up to the castle. This was it. There was no going back now. She let out a shaky breath that choked in her throat upon seeing the carriage. It looked as if it were made of glass, but as she got near it she could tell it was actually made of ice. But what elicited a gasp of surprise from her was the horse. It could have passed for a real creature, if not for the blue to it's eyes that seemed unearthly. Magic.

Jackson stepped out of the carriage and walked up to the royal family. Most would have seen it as sheer arrogance with the swagger in his step or the lack of fear from the loyal bodyguards. Perhaps he saw himself as the most dangerous man in the room with his ability for magic whereas her people relied on technology and weapons. She herself had never seen magic at first hand. Her father forbade it. But so far, looking at the horse and carriage he had made out of ice, it was something amazing and something to be taken seriously.

"Your Majesty." Jackson greeted.

"Ser Jackson." Aqua replied cordially.

Jackson looked tempted to say something but thought better of it. Instead he cleared his throat, aiming for a professional appearance. It was hard to see him as a serious type. He seemed to ooze confidence and she knew his behavior was agitating her father. Vanitas had been purposefully unarmed by the guards before coming out to say goodbye to her. His temper was likely to have him drive a dagger through the messenger's eyes for just looking at her, let alone suggesting she marry the enemy to broker an alliance between them.

"I have brought the contract, as you requested."

A man behind Jackson brought forth a written document. Aqua reached out and took it, silently reading it over. It was plain and simple. Agreement to stop fighting unless one nation acts in a way that does another harm. Acts of aggression were allowed to be defended against on either side. Also, they would go to one another's aid if they needed it. They really had thought of everything. A true alliance through and through. Peace for their people and a new ally should they be attacked. It wouldn't wash away the years of hatred for the other nation, but it was a start. There was a spot for her to sign as well. She took a deep breath.

"Do you have a pen?"

"Oh. Um, contracts like this are normally signed in blood." Jackson said, hesitantly.

"Blood?"

She had gone pale. She understood Guardia was about magic but this had thrown her for a loop. It also seemed like a rather violent way to bind someone to a contract. But she didn't know the culture of Guardia. She didn't want to offend her fiancé-to-be or his messenger. Not when they had come all this way to make sure that this would actually go through. Plus, it was at great personal risk that the messenger had come to her.

"Second thoughts?" Xehanort questioned.

She looked to her father. He looked unnaturally smug. He had never been close to her emotionally. But he was King. He had to spend his time grooming Vanitas into a good King that he would someday be. He had no time for the spare. She was to be wedded off to the groom who offered the most to the kingdom. An alliance with Guardia would do just that. Then her son could rule. But only if something horrific happened to Vanitas. She hoped it never came to that.

"No father." she said softly before turning to Jackson. "What is so special about signing in blood?"

"They're fool proof contracts. No loop holes. If one person breaks the contract, then they die."

They _died_. Aqua felt her heart clench. A blood contract? But she was the one who requested it.

"The whole family should sign..." Jackson said. "Our royal family has."

Aqua looked to the document once again. There was King Nickolas 'North' Frost in elegant cursive, followed by Prince Riku Frost, Princess Elsa Frost and a third in such a messy scrawl that Aqua could barely tell it was a name much less a squiggle. Two princes one of them had to be her spouse-to-be. Either Riku or the unintelligible squiggle. She looked to Vanitas, who shrugged. Whereas Xehanort looked livid.

"I will do no such thing!"

"Father," Aqua scolded, "This will stop the war!"

"I won't have any part of this magic nonsense."

Aqua stared at her father in disbelief before shaking her head. He had been the one to immediately offer her up like she was a wine right before dinner! He had been so eager the night before that when she hesitated he had gotten angry. Now he was dismissing the whole thing? He needed to make up his mind and think of his people. She looked to Jackson again. She was going to sign. She had to. It would put more trust in the alliance between their people. A good step in the right direction.

"Just get a drop of blood." he explained.

Jackson removed a pin from his vest, sharp and pointed at the end with a sapphire at the tip. Purely there for decoration, or maybe it was social standing in Guardia? She didn't know. He held it out for Aqua to take. She did and pricked the tip of her finger with it. She winced as a drop of blood welled up from the injury. The last blood to be spilled over their mindless fighting. She supposed it was only fitting that it was the blood of the royal families. There was some sort of poetic irony in it.

"Now press your finger to the page."

She took a deep breath, pressing her finger to the parchment. Her name flourished across the page, as if penned with a quill. She stared mesmerized until a second hand joined hers. She looked over to see Vanitas with his bleeding thumb pressed against the page. His scrawl appeared beneath hers, just as if he had signed it. Vanitas wasn't normally this amiable. But he knew what this meant to her and to their people. They couldn't afford to mess this up and if the person really did die if they broke the terms, then he knew no one would be breaking them. The war would end. So would the suffering.

"Van..." she murmured.

"Father, it's your turn."

"I won't-"

"Sign. Now."

Vanitas' tone left little room for argument. Even Aqua grew concerned what her brother would do if their father didn't sign. Would he force their father to sign? It wouldn't be the first time they had butt heads violently. They fought often when they disagreed on something. Aqua knew better than to get involved or she would be the one to face their wrath. With a sneer Xehanort pricked his finger, signed the page, and scowled deeply at Vanitas and Jack as he did.

"I suppose that settles it..." Jack said. "Are you ready to go, Princess?"

No. She didn't think she would ever be ready to go, but since she didn't trust her voice, she nodded. Jackson took the bag from her hand, seemingly considering the weight before he placed it in the carriage. Her servants moved forward with the few other things they insisted she pack with her. More food, more clothes and some tokens to remember home by. She just hoped Guardia didn't expect her to bring treasures with her. Xehanort had soundly refused when advised that he should send some form of gift to the new family. Jackson turned to offer her his hand once more.

This was it.

There was no turning back after this.

She put her hand in Jackson's. He helped her into the carriage, before following in after her. The door closed once they were both inside. Her things were loaded onto the back of the carriage by the staff, who were trying to peek inside, spare one last glimpse of her. She smiled at those who could see her. But all too soon the driver flicked the reins of his mount. The carriage lurched forward. Aqua sat forward, tall, proud, and confident. She told herself to show no weakness. Not to let Jackson see how much this hurt her.

As they passed through the village, she looked at all the places she would likely never see again. The bookshop she adored, where she used to spend countless hours reading. The wishing well where she and Vanitas used to throw pennies as a kid to make wishes that would never come true. They passed the docks where different ships came in with exotic spices and all their trade goods. She couldn't even cry because Jackson was there. She tried to remain proud and confident but the further she got from home, the more her heart sank. So she resolved to stare out the window and watch as the life she knew rolled away.


	3. Start of a New Journey

They had ridden for so long that Aqua had long since fallen asleep. Despite being made of ice, the carriage had yet to melt. The seats almost felt like sitting in snow without the chill. What she had noticed was that a cloak had been placed over her. Jackson's cloak. Slowly, she sat up, peering out the window. It was late. She could see the stars out the window. She got to her feet, making her way out of the carriage. The moment her foot touched the ground, she felt snow. A chill swept through the air and she shivered. She drew the cloak a little closer.

"Oh, you're awake!"

She turned sharply to see Jackson tending to a fire. He smiled upon seeing her. There was a camp set up and the men were bustling around, winding things down for the night. She looked away from the men and pulled the cloak around her, as if to shield herself from their gaze. She knew the slip of fabric wouldn't do anything to protect her. She was as good as an unarmed prisoner around the folks who used magic. She refused to let that fear show.

"Are you hungry?" Her surprise must have shown because he added, "What? Didn't think I was going to feed you?"

"I-I…"

She wasn't sure what she thought. Her father had always told her how cruel and vicious the people of Guardia were. That she was likely going to a life of suffering and damnation for this armistice. Granted, Jackson and his men weren't the prince and his family. Or the rest of their people. She knew that the her people were bitter against anyone from Guardia. She had seen the prejudice first hand when she had to send for her brother when he decided to drown himself in booze at the tavern.

"Your kitchen staff at the castle refused to let us go without food enough for the trip," Jackson explained. "They really care about you."

Aqua blushed. She had always spent a lot of time with the servants. She wasn't even allowed out into the town on her own. She was always followed by two armed escorts. This was her first time out of the castle without one. Well, without one provided by her father. She warily eyed the men working on setting up tents. Her father hadn't event offered to send guards with her. He even told her that she was likely walking into a trap. That the Prince could be cruel and abusive. That he would never love her. But she knew love was never going to be in the cards because she was a royal. Her marriage was supposed to be something advantageous for her people. Not for herself. It would be selfish to wish otherwise.

Jackson brought her out of her thoughts by fishing a hunk of bread out of his pack. He unwrapped the bread, slicing off a hunk for her, then did the same with cheese and some jerky. He then offered her the rations. She hesitantly took them from him, her hunger winning out over the fear that he had poisoned it. She was, after all, no use to anyone dead. Especially if they went to the effort of having a blood contract drawn. She would at least be kept alive until she reached the capital, or so she hoped.

"Thank you, Ser Jackson."

"Jack."

"Beg pardon?"

"Just call me Jack," he said with a grin.

"I-I couldn't possibly..."

"It's okay," he reassured her. "I want you to."

She nodded slowly. It was so informal that it was nearly painful for her. She didn't know Jack. Certainly not enough to just call him by his name like that. She knew she couldn't shut out everyone. She had to have some ally in the new kingdom, right? Someone who wouldn't look at her and see the daughter of the former enemy. She couldn't shut out Guardia forever, no matter how much she wanted to pretend this was some delusional dream. This was really going to happen so she had to make the most of it.

"Want to sit down? It's warm by the fire."

A shiver gave her away. She hesitantly sat across the fire from him. Jack didn't push her to sit closer. He just smiled kindly. She hated the fact she was acting like some frightened child. However, these were the men her father used to tell her them stories about at the dinner table. Much to the Queen's displeasure before her untimely passing. But he would go into gruesome detail about how cruel they were and what people from Guardia would do if they let their guards down for even a second. As an adult who knew how awful the world could be, Aqua could practically taste the dread on her tongue.

"How are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm fine."

He gave her a skeptical look, clearly not believing her lies. She hastily looked away. So she lied. She was under no obligation to tell him anything. Then why did the look of disappointment on his face make her feel the sting of guilt? She supposed it was because she was taking her fear and frustration out on the messenger. She very well could have said no to the engagement. Hindsight was 20-20. In a way, she wanted control of who she would marry, because Xehanort had been talking about it. He would have had her marry Saix of a neighboring kingdom, known for berserker warriors or maybe Lord Luxord of the South, who was known for gambling heavily and sleeping around, but had fleets of ship at his command. No, this was the only way she could think of to escape that, but what if she was walking into something worse?

"You don't have to pretend you're okay just for my sake."

"My feelings on the matter don't mean anything. I'm doing what I'm doing for my people."

This would be her mantra for the rest of her life. She did this for Verona and for her people. No one else. The Prince of Guardia could not take that from her no matter what happened. Though, she prayed he was a kind man - one who wouldn't make her suffer for the sake of it. Or punish her for things that Verona had done to Guardia in the past in the name of war.

"You aren't the least bit curious about the Prince?"

She hesitated. Of course she was curious about the Prince. But she was afraid if she heard anything about him, she would go running for the hills, ruining the alliance. Or that Jack would lie about the Prince and merely list only the best qualities. It would set her up with false expectations and lead to a broken heart, battered pride and a shattered soul. She didn't know what would be more painful. This was her burden to bear... For the rest of her life. However long that may be.

"You know, I happen to know him quite well. Why don't you ask me what you want to know about him? I'll answer everything honestly. Promise!"

"Any question I have?"

"Any question at all."

Aqua looked down at the ration of food in her hands. She quietly thought over what she wanted to ask. She had so many questions that it was hard to narrow it down. A prince she never met wanted to marry her? He didn't even know her. For all he knew, she was a spiteful, vindictive harpy that would make his life miserable. What did that say for her? He could be a cruel and licentious lout that would make her wish she were dead.

"What is he like?" she asked softly. "Is he… kind?"

She knew it was a silly question to ask so late into the game. They were betrothed. She couldn't back out of this. For all she knew, he would treat this marriage like a victory over Verona. She would be a glorified human trophy for him to show off to the other royals of Guardia. But... she didn't believe so, not when Jack's expression became soft and understanding. She hated how he smiled at her, like he was trying to win her over to his side.

"The Prince is the youngest of King Nikolas' children," Jack supplied, "He's a bit of a prankster but it's only so people smile. He knows when to be serious."

Aqua nodded. She didn't know much about the Kingdom of Guardia, much less it's royal family. Only the things her father told her people during the public announcements were common knowledge. What if this was all just an elaborate prank? A scheme to try and use her as a hostage? The moment she left, she was as good as dead. At least to Xehanort. He wouldn't send anyone to rescue her. He wouldn't even reason with Guardia if they threatened her life. She didn't know about Vanitas. His moods were as wild and as unpredictable as the seas.

Her father had sneered at her while she had packed. He told her the Prince would be cruel. The Prince would beat her, throw her in a dungeon and use her to the point of breaking for childbearing. But what choice did she have? She had agreed to Jack's terms. It wasn't like she could run away now with Jack and his men watching ever so carefully. Besides, if her suffering meant her people were happy there was no choice. She had to deal with the fall out to the best of her ability.

"I'd like to believe you would be happy there someday," Jack said. "I know nothing could replace your home but the royal family will make sure you're comfortable."

Aqua managed a tight smile. She took a bite of the ration of bread to keep from saying something she ought not. It was light and airy. Something she knew she could actually keep in her stomach. The nerves were starting to get to her. Could she ever truly be happy in Guardia? It wasn't home. But had she ever been at home in Verona? She didn't fit in no matter what she tried.

"How soon is the wedding?"

"Not until you… and the Prince are ready." Jack said, "He doesn't want to trap you in a loveless political marriage."

"Isn't that what this is?" she asked dryly.

Jack sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. Even he couldn't deny that a marriage between two strangers based solely on politics was anything but loveless. If they were lucky, they would be friends or at least friendly towards one another. Expecting them to love one another was asking too much. If they were unlucky, they would spend the rest of their days in delightful despair loathing each other until one of them caved to slip the other poison.

"His older brother and his older sister both fell for commoners. You cannot rule without a royal at your side." Jack explained. "So he had to find a princess."

"I'm sure there are plenty of other princesses out there who would love to have him."

"Maybe…" Jack said quietly.

"But… the alliance," Aqua mused.

None of the other princesses were from Verona. They couldn't help stop a war aside from promising soldiers or supplies and brute force. This was the method of least bloodshed. With his other siblings thinking of their hearts, someone had to do the hard thing. Someone had to sacrifice their happiness for the good of the people. And so it was the Prince to reach out to her. She supposed if he was that logical he couldn't be that bad, right? Her roundabout thoughts were giving her headaches.

"Exactly. A marriage between the two of you would be beneficial to both our countries."

Aqua felt a little better knowing her husband-to-be was in the same boat as she was. That according to his own men, he wouldn't force her into something she didn't want. He too was being forced. What if he had a sweetheart he had to give up? Would he keep them as a lover? Aqua bit her lip. Too much worrying and jumping to conclusions wasn't good for her. The suspense was killing her.

"What are you like?"

"I'm sorry, what?"

"It's not every day I escort someone so important," Jack shrugged. "Tell me about yourself."

Aqua paused for a moment. What did she feel comfortable telling Jack? He was close to the Prince or so he claimed. Would he tell the Prince everything she told him? She didn't want to have to watch what she said and to whom. It would make her life so much more complicated. She would grow paranoid of spies all around her and being watched for what she said. One wrong toe out of line and it would be to the gallows with her. She shivered at the thought.

"I… am the oldest daughter of Xehanort. I have no claim to the throne. My youngest brother Vanitas will be King."

Jack shook his head. Aqua regarded him carefully. She had told him about herself, just like he requested. What she told him was all true so it wasn't like she was lying again. But she didn't know what he expected from her. She shifted a little on the log she sat on, instantly reminded how cold she was and she scooted a little closer to the fire. Jack seemed like he was going to scoot closer to her but opted not to. Instead, he leaned back.

"I know your family history. But what about you? What do you like? What do you dislike? Got any hobbies?"

Aqua hesitated. She had to stop to think it over. She didn't see the harm in telling Jack. He was just the messenger. It wasn't like her favorite color or her preference in sweets were insider information. Verona would not be harmed if he knew those things. If he did report to the Prince, it made no difference if she told him small things. Aside from being able to tell the Prince himself.

"I… never got to leave the palace much as a child. Father said enemies would have kidnapped me in order to get to him. So I spent most of my time in the library."

"You like to read then?" Jack inquired.

"Father encouraged it since he thought playing with other children was a distraction."

Though, he soon claimed to regret it. She was too curious for her own good. Once he had caught her reading a book with magic about a wizard and a dragon. She had tried to tell him the plot and once she said the 'M' word, he flew into a rage that she had only seen the likes of when Guardia did something to gain the upper hand. He exiled her tutor from the kingdom, threatening to kill the next one if they ever let her read a book with magic in it again. Aqua had been too afraid to read them. The moment the book hinted at something remotely magical, she put it away and felt guilt enough for weeks afterwards.

"It's all about moderation," Jack reasoned. "A bit of fun is good for you. It helps with stress."

"I would walk in the garden for that."

"You like gardening?"

Aqua shook her head. She just got to walk through the gardens. Enjoying other people's hard work, which again was something to make her feel guilty about. Her father never let her help the servants and the servants insisted she didn't need to do common work. They claimed to enjoy her presence, but she didn't know if that was because she was the princess, because of who her father was or how Vanitas had such a short fuse with his emotions he was kind one moment and cruel the next. It made Aqua miss the Queen, but after her passing many gentle things had stopped in Verona.

"I wasn't allowed to," she replied. "Father said it would look bad if I had to work around the palace."

Xehanort prided himself on image and appearances. Everything was a power play. She wondered what handing her over to a foreign power had to say. Without her there he could say whatever he liked. He could go on about how noble her sacrifice was or how stupid. He could claim to miss her or say 'good riddance'. She could never tell with that man. But he could get away with whatever he liked because she was not there to correct them. As for her brother? She wasn't sure if he would correct them. He was closer to the throne with her gone. Her brother was unstable at the best of times.

"At the palace, the royal family is allowed to. Maybe you could ask the Prince to see the library or he could show you the gardens?"

"I'd be more of a hindrance than a help."

"But it'd be fun, right?"

Aqua wasn't as sure as Jack. Her only 'allowed' talents were those that would paint her to be a good wife. She could embroider with the best. She knew how to host a ball. She was a practiced dancer, albeit a reluctant one. Her tutors may have only given her basics, but she became self-taught after that and exceeded the expectations of book learning for herself. It was her 'biggest fault' her father said. Because she shouldn't need to be so educated. Her husband would take care of her, he said.

"My favorite thing to do is visit the village. I think the best part is sitting in town square and watching all the people go by," Jack said.

Aqua's gaze drifted to the fire. She likely wouldn't leave Guardia palace. Her only bit of freedom was traveling to the new kingdom. She would be a trophy wife after that, only meant to be dusted off and displayed for grand appearances, just like her father used to. But as a child, she longed to see the world. She was squandering her chance by hiding in the carriage the entire way to Guardia. It was something akin to traveling in a gilded cage on wheels.

"I wish I could do that," she said almost wistfully.

"You can."

She shook her head. She doubted it. But it would be nice. To travel as she pleased, go where she liked and still be able to come back to somewhere that wasn't quite home, but was safe. However, men in line for the throne only had one thing in mind - the next line of heirs. She pushed the thought back. Best to keep far away from thoughts like that unless she jinxed herself and it was true.

"It only depends if my betrothed will let me."

This time, Jack looked upset. As if she had said something to personally offend him. She was going into a country where most of it's people would likely hate her if not blame her for the war simply because of her country of origin. The people would want her to suffer, even if she had no hand in the actual fighting or even the decision making. Someone somewhere would want her dead.

"You can do what you want. The Prince won't stop you." He told her.

"He will be my husband. Of course he can stop me." Aqua dismissed. "A wife's duty is to make her husband happy."

"At the cost of her own happiness?"

Aqua had to take in a deep breath to control her rising anger. Of course at the cost of her own happiness. She wasn't marrying the Prince because she wanted to. Her happiness never mattered. It never would. She had to think of others first. It was her duty as Princess. It took a moment or two in order to soothe her fraying nerves, but she managed it.

"If it wasn't this Prince, it would have been anyone else."

"Princess, I –"

"I should get some rest. What time will we be off tomorrow?"

Jack didn't like the topic change. Brutal and abrupt as it was. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. Aqua pursed her lips. She couldn't sit there all night and discuss her feelings. They were too frayed and too shot to continue poking. Much longer and she might just dissolve into tears, something she really didn't want to do, not in present company. They would see it at as a weakness and exploit it.

"At first light."

"Aqua nodded and rose to her feet. She did feel better after warming herself by the fire. The food and the warmth pushed back at the panic that threatened to consume her. She even supposed talking to Jack had helped some. She was in a better mood than she had been. Still afraid, certainly, but less so because she had someone to talk to. Someone who seemed to understand her hesitations. Jack didn't judge her for it.

"Thank you for the company."

Jack frowned when he realized he was being dismissed. Aqua had developed a habit of excusing herself when things grew too personal. He got to his feet and walked her back the few paces to the carriage, even helping her in. His cloak still hung from her shoulders. She moved to give it back but he shook his head. Was it appropriate to wear the cloak of someone who wasn't her betrothed? She was too tired to argue so she just nodded.

"Goodnight, Jackson."

"Goodnight, Princess."


	4. Familiar Face

He hadn't lied when he said they would start traveling at first light. Aqua wished she had thought to grab a book. She was dreadfully bored in the carriage alone. But she was too afraid to venture out with the soldiers escorting her just yet. She watched as the countryside rolled by instead. It was around midday when the carriage stopped. Curious, Aqua peeked her head out. She was met with Jack's grinning face.

"What's going on?"

"Nothing!" Jack assured her, "We're breaking for lunch. Would you like to join us?"

Aqua hesitated. In the carriage, she was safe. However, who knew when she would be so free to travel again? So she nodded. Jack grinned in delight. He opened the carriage door and helped her out. She took a deep breath, steeling her nerves to deal with her first encounter with her guards. Aside from Jack that is, but he hardly seemed to count since his build was so slight next to the soldiers that she was used to seeing in Verona. Jack and his men had yet to try and harm her. That had to be a good sign.

"Ah, so the mysterious lady of Verona decides to grace us with her presence." one of the guards teased.

Aqua immediately went pink, too embarrassed to say something witty back. The guard who decided to tease her was young, perhaps around Vanitas' age. His blond hair was slicked back. He wore green leathers instead of armor. Aqua wasn't used to seeing soldiers without armor, but for the most part, the men wore only the basics. They weren't encased in steel. But they had weapons to back themselves up. Mostly swords but one of them – one in red – had a crossbow.

"Don't mind him," Jack told her. "Hayner likes to tease everyone. It's his way of showing he likes you."

"Do not!" Hayner protested.

"Do too!" another guard injected, "You said she was pretty."

The rest of the guards laughed at both Hayner and Aqua's expense. Aqua wasn't used to being called pretty. Mostly people shared whispers about her hair or how off putting her personality was. She was too opinionated. Her father lamented that fact, cursing her natural curiosity so Aqua found herself asking fewer questions in an attempt to appease him. It never seemed to work because if it wasn't her questions it was something else.

"Careful Hayner, this one is spoken for," Jack teased.

"Yeah. Yeah."

Aqua bit her lip. Talk like this was certainly not allowed in the Verona military. It was too informal and far too friendly. Could she really be safe with men who saw this as a joke? Not like she had any other choice. She was stuck with these guards until they arrived in Guardia. She would likely never see them again. If she did, it would be random chance alone. Aqua had learned to never get attached to the soldiers or servants. Her father had a high turnover rate at the palace.

"Let me introduce you to everyone!" Jack insisted. "This is Hayner. His friend is Pence."

A knight in red leathers smiled and waved at her. His spiky brown hair was tied back with a bandana. A crossbow was propped against his side. He seemed friendly enough. In a way, he reminded her of the stable hands she knew in Verona. They were always warm and patient types. They had to be when they were dealing with horses. In a way, that made Pence less intimidating. She wasn't threatened by him.

"There's Leon and Cloud."

Leon was a tall muscular brunet with a dark scar across his face. She nearly started to sweat just looking at him since he was wearing black leathers and a fur pelt around his neck in the beating sun. He was also among the most frightening to look at. Especially with the scar across his face and his piercing grey eyes. She managed to resist the urge to excuse herself back to the safety of the carriage. She would not be forced to retreat. She would not allow them to see weakness in her.

Cloud was just as muscular as Leon, though a blond, not a brunet. He also had an enormous sword nearly as big as she was. She shivered and wondered how he could lift it. She quickly looked away when Cloud caught her staring at the blade. Thankfully the blond just ignored the wary look from her and regarded Jack. It was odd to see a group of soldiers taking orders from someone like Jack. He was just a courier at best.

"And... Where's Zack?" Jack asked.

"Went to get some water from the stream," Cloud said. "He'll be back. He wouldn't want to miss talking to the Princess."

Aqua shifted uncomfortably. She hated being the center of their focus. Though, she doubted they would let her go far from their watchful gaze, she felt the need to get away and get some space between her and them. They were the guards sent to protect her by the Prince - her husband to be. However, they were a motley crew. Only Cloud and Leon seemed like seasoned warriors. She wasn't sure if it was supposed to make her feel safe since the others weren't intimidating.

"Ah, you started without me!"

Aqua startled, turning sharply to face... a familiar face. She wracked her mind, trying to remember where she had seen him before. Her frown must have given her away because the soldier laughed.

"My name is Zack Fair. My wife is alive because of you."

"The... soldier who broke into the palace."

* * *

A 'witch' had been 'caught' in Verona when Aqua was younger. Her father declared the woman's punishment was death. Aqua had never seen a witch before so she had snuck down to the dungeons to sneak a peak. Morbid curiosity, she later decided. What she found was a flower girl, from the town square, who had been kind and helpful to anyone who needed assistance. She was a woman shaking and afraid of morning light, because it would be her death. Just as regret sank in, there was a clamor of armor and sword against sword.

Aqua had only been twelve at the time. Fighting frightened her. It still did but at least with her age it hadn't sent her into a cowering puddle of tears like it had back then. Her back had pressed against the cell bars and she had valiantly fought back tears as a soldier in bloodied armor burst into the room, finding the witch and the young Princess. For a moment the girl stared at the warrior. He was barely any older than she was.

"Please," he croaked. "Move."

With trembling knees, she did. The soldier lurched forward. The grace and finesse from his battle sapped away now that his goal was in sight. His bloodied hands fumbled with the keys to the cell. They fell with an ear shattering clack in the still room. Aqua reached for them. As she rose, she saw the soldier's hand go to his sword. She placed the proper key in the lock and opened the door.

"Zack!" the 'witch' had cried.

The woman in pink had thrown herself at him, heedless of the blood that dripped off him like rivets of crimson water. The hugged like they thought they would never see one another again. If she was executed in the morning, they wouldn't. The young princess had studied them. Their desperation had been sincere. They were truly frightened of what they were doing. So was she, but... she couldn't fault 'Zack'. This was what every romantic little story said. A prince rushed into the enemy castle and saved the princess. Though these two weren't royal, the sentiment was the same. But that made her father and her... the enemy.

"What are you doing here?" the woman whispered in awe.

"I couldn't just let them kill you."

Aqua realized they were so caught up in one another, she could run, get help, sound an alarm, do _something_. However she was rooted to her spot. Her mind still churning over the idea that _she_ was their enemy. These people hadn't hurt her specifically. Not anything that wasn't warranted anyways. Zack killed the guards to get to the woman. He could kill her too. She _should_ be afraid. But she wasn't.

"They'll kill you for this," Aqua whispered.

The couple turned to look at her, half surprised she remained. Zack held the woman close as if to protect her from the very words. She thought she would look at them and be afraid, but all she saw was two people afraid to lose each other. A man who had gone against everything he knew to save the woman he cared about. Granted, he had killed men who were a part of her guard. They protected her. They had their own families. They had their own loved ones they were afraid to lose.

"They have to catch us first."

"Do you even have a plan?" the twelve year old asked.

Zack scratched the back of his neck. Clearly, he had not expected to get this far. The woman clung to him tightly, fearing what would become of them both. There would be no reasoning with her father. The woman was a witch and the man had broken in and slaughtered who knew how many men just to get to her. She was scared of them but she was scared for them as well. If her father had his way it wouldn't end up like the story books where they got to go and live happily ever after.

"You could... sneak out the servant's entrance. It's by the stables. You could get a horse."

The words tumbled from Aqua's lips before she could stop them. She had felt her heart racing, knowing what she was doing was wrong. She didn't even know what her father would do if he caught her down there. Let alone what he would do if he found out she had helped these criminals escape. She felt herself shaking as she cowered before the bloody knight. She tried to hide the tremble of her knees and the quaking of her hands.

"Thank you, your Majesty."

"Just hurry!"

* * *

"So you remember me!" Zack laughed.

"You two know each other?" Jack asked.

Aqua shifted a little uncomfortably. She was in the presence of a murderer. She couldn't help but step a little closer to Jack. The last time she had seen Zack he was covered in the blood of other men. She had been a little girl, unable to defend herself, but things were barely any different now. She was still afraid of him. They had power over her because none of her own people were there to defend her if they decided to turn on her.

"He killed our guards."

"To save Aerith!" Zack protested.

Jack seemed alarmed either way. She supposed it does come as a bit of a shock. Zack had certainly not disclosed the means of his escape from the Verona capital. Or at least not told those in present company. It certainly hadn't helped Aqua become more comfortable around the knights, especially knowing that one of them had no qualms with killing. But he hadn't hurt her before. So she supposed it wasn't entirely bad.

"Zack! Why on earth did you request this assignment then?" Jack demanded.

"I had to see her. If it wasn't for the Princess Aerith would have been put to death. She helped us escape." Zack said.

Cloud shook his head, as did Leon. The elder warriors seemed to understand Zack's need for this. Aqua took a deep breath to steady herself. He hadn't come to harm her. He was grateful for her help all those years ago. If worse came to worse, she could count him as an ally perhaps. If she played her cards right, perhaps she could even count him as a friend. She had none where she was going. No one she could trust.

"Perhaps you should have waited, Zack," Cloud mused. "Until she was settled in."

"How about we start over?" Jack suggested.

Aqua stared at him. He smiled as if to say 'humor me'. A sigh of exasperation left her lips. He had a point. She wouldn't make an ally if she rebuffed him. He had apparently volunteered for this mission. He would keep her safe, if only to return her kindness from his escape. She would almost feel bad for calling in on this 'supposed life debt' that Zack had for her but she had to look out for herself.

"Great!" Jack enthused. "Aqua, this is Zack. He's a big fan."

The other knights laughed. Zack shook his head and turned to face Aqua. Her 'big fan' had a reproachful look on his face. He was afraid of her rejection. Her! The enemy's princess! He should have hated her and reviled her for her parentage. But he didn't. She took that to heart. It made it easier to calm herself and fight back the edge of anxiety that had been creeping up on her. She smiled as kindly as she could manage. It must have worked because his relief was instant.

"It's a pleasure," she said.

"The pleasure is mine. Aerith would never forgive me if I didn't help you."

"How is your wife?"

Zack lit up. She recalled the adoring looks he had given the woman that night. He would have moved the stars for her if he had to - all to keep her safe and by his side. Back then she had been terrified of that look of manic determination. She had been afraid what he would do to her after killing the guards and if he deemed her as a threat. Now that she was older and had seen war, perhaps not firsthand but seen it all the same, she understood. War was not kind. It would steal your loved ones away in a blink. Zack was just crazy enough to try and fight back.

"Aerith's doing wonderful. We're expecting our second child this fall."

"Second?"

If Aerith had died that night, two children with magic might not have been born. But three guards had been slain by Zack. Did he ever feel remorse for the lives he took to ensure the life of his loved one? Was this a life for a life? Or did he just see those men as the evil captors of his beloved? She thought better than asking him those sorts of questions. He had no reason to dislike her. She had no intentions to give him a reason to give him one.

"We have a little girl named Marlene. She lost her parents in the war."

"You adopted her?"

Zack nodded. He motioned for her to come closer. She hesitated but did. He removed a locket from around his neck. Inside was a picture of Aerith and a tiny little girl with a braided brown hair and dazzling green eyes. She almost looked identical to Aerith. They could have passed for mother and daughter. Unlike the last time Aqua had seen Aerith, the woman was happy, positively glowing if anything. She felt a pang of guilt. Her father would have crushed that happiness with the heel of his boot if he had his way.

"They're my whole world."

"They look... happy."

She missed the look of exasperation that crossed the faces of the other knights. Zack regularly talked about his family, because he was proud of them. The thought of 'future' and 'family' made Aqua uneasy. She could feel her stomach clench at the very thought. Because she was getting married to a Prince, she would be expected to continue the family line with him. Would she be happy like Zack and Aerith? She hoped so.

There was a dramatic difference from the villagers near her father's castle. No fear. No cloud of gloom looming like a poisonous fog. Did magic make it so they could be happier? Did it take away the stresses of day to day life? Or perhaps it was the leadership of the country? She knew her father had won no one to his side by being as harsh and cruel as he was.

"Zack's family is his favorite topic," Pence chimed in.

"Family is important," Jack chimed in.

Aqua looked to Jack blandly. To her family, it was just necessity. If something became of her father, then Vanitas would take his place. If Vanitas could not bear children, then she was tasked with having them so the royal line could continue. Vanitas might have gotten upset that she had agreed to the marriage, but only because they trusted each other over their father's men. He too would be alone without her.

"Come on," Jack said, "We were stopping so we could eat. Are you hungry, Aqua?"

"I could eat."

Jack smiled and laced his arm with hers, guiding her away to a seat far from Zack. She gave him an odd look. Was Jack jealous? Why would he be? She was going to marry the Prince. Still Jack seemed intent on having a moment alone between them. Not that Aqua could complain. Being around all of the other knights made her nervous. It was better to be near the one she _did_ know over strangers.

Lunch consisted of dried meats and bread, fashioned into sandwiches. They made sure to serve her first and offer her more of the rations. She staved off on seconds, barely finishing the first portion she was doled out. Not because the food was bad or she thought they would poison her. She had become nervous about going to Guardia and finally meeting her husband to be.


	5. A Bit of Magic

After lunch, Jack climbed into the carriage with her. She couldn't help but be a little grateful. If she were left alone with her thoughts, her mood would become quite bleak with the sudden turn of events. Jack gave her plenty of space. They both sat on either side of the carriage. She bit her lip but didn't protest to her sudden company. She still wasn't entirely comfortable with the guards yet. It would come with time. She would have to get used to them.

"You don't mind, do you?" he asked.

"No, it's fine." she assured him.

Jack smiled but she couldn't tell why he was looking at her like that. She shifted in her spot. She had withdrawn a shawl from her belongings before climbing into the carriage with Leon's help. Once they were settled in, she drew it around her shoulders. Jack wasn't terrible company she supposed. No one was forcing her to do something she wasn't comfortable with. They were going at her pace in everything but travel. Their travel had been a slow but steady pace.

"Sorry about this morning. I didn't know you and Zack had... history."

"He meant well." she replied.

Jack flashed a sympathetic smile. He knew how uncomfortable she had been considering he had done his best to disarm the tension it had brought on. She had to swallow her discomfort and put on a brave face until she had warmed up to Zack. It wasn't hard. He was a very personable man. He had been sweet despite their rocky start. And he had gone out of his way during their entire meal to be helpful. It was sweet.

"Do you want Zack to be written up?" Jack asked.

"What for?" Aqua asked, surprised.

"He upset you."

Aqua hastily shook her head. She hadn't been truly upset. Unnerved, surprised and discomforted but not upset. Zack had meant well. He wanted to keep her safe, if only to return her kindness from helping him escape her father. She did not want her father's reputation. She would not take her anger out on people who merely offended her. No. Punishments were for people who deserved it like crown criminals, murderers or thieves.

"I don't want him to be in trouble because of it."

Jack regarded her carefully before nodding in approval. He smiled. She looked at him quizzically. Jack in general was an odd bird, if there ever was one. He didn't talk much about himself, but readily answered her questions. He hovered at her side almost protectively. He even spent most of his time with her rather than the men they traveled with. His focus was narrowly on her. Perhaps it was because he was studying her for the prince, or he didn't trust her?

"If you say so."

"I do," she insisted. "Zack's not doing anything wrong."

"That's a relief. I like Zack. I'd hate to have him punished."

Aqua blinked. Hate to have him punished? But Jack was the one who suggested it. It took her a moment to realize why he would be relieved. Then she was reminded of who's daughter she was. Her father was the King of Verona - sworn enemy to magic and it's users alike. She frowned upon his war tactics, but her opinion never mattered in the war room. Unless, he had suggested a punishment for Zack as bait? To see if she took after her old man after all.

"Were... you testing me?" she asked.

Jack looked sheepish having been caught in his plans. She didn't know how to feel about that. It was a smart move, but it bothered her he felt the need. Her actions with Zack should have spoken for themselves. The thought made her stomach churn. She was not her father. Yes, magic scared her, so did the people who used it, but they hadn't done anything to her directly. The war was just two sides fighting for what they believed was right. Aqua pursed her lips in distaste.

"Your father doesn't have the best reputation." he said.

"I am _not_ my father."

"Clearly. You let them go," he said. "May I ask why?"

She paused, thinking back to that night. Her morbid curiosity, the tang of blood, the sound of clashing metal and shouts of agony, the sight of a bloodied warrior, Aerith's visible relief. She had gone through a whirlwind of emotions that night. She hadn't even told anyone what happened. Nor had her father found out she was involved. He had been furious when he found out that Aerith escaped and Zack had killed three of his men. Guard patrols around the palace tripled after that night. She wasn't allowed out of her own room after dark ever again.

"Because... they were as afraid as I was."

"Afraid?" Jack inquired.

She looked out the window rather than face him. The carriage started to roll by. They were on the road again, supposedly going to make it to Guardia's borders by nightfall. The plan was to find an inn and stay the night before heading to the capital. She was a little apprehensive to meet her future husband. Jack said the Prince was nice but he worked for the man. People had two faces for work and for home.

"I had never seen... a magic user before. Father always described them as monsters," she explained.

Jack started to laugh, only stopping when she looked at him incredulously. She didn't see what was so funny. She was confessing that she had been raised to think magic was the work of monsters. That the people who used it couldn't be human. Except, she was being proven wrong sitting across from them, eating with them, and trusting her safety to them. Aside from his odd hair, Jack looked just as human as anyone else. Besides, it wasn't like she had much room to talk. Her hair was blue.

"Sorry but... if you knew Aerith, she's the furthest thing from a monster..." he explained. "Please... go on."

"There's not much to say. I found a woman in the cells instead of a monster."

A very human, very afraid woman, just a little older than her. She didn't even look different from other people. Perhaps that was what spurred Aqua into action that night, unable to let a woman die even if she did use magic - because she was afraid. But she had seen plenty of criminals executed in her father's kingdom. Everything from minor thieves to murderers. Perhaps it was the way that Aerith had been misty eyed and shaking. Frightened of what would happen once dawn came. Aqua shook her head. She didn't want to think about it anymore.

"So... you've had no interaction with magic at all?" Jack asked.

Perhaps he was trying to turn the topic to something lighter, Aqua appreciated the change. She shook her head. Xehanort expressly forbid it. HE referred to magic users as heathens and barbarians. Information on magic was destroyed. Use of magic was a death sentence. Her father ruled through fear and suppression of his own people. She had hoped to encourage Vanitas to change his ways but her brother disliked magic even worse than their father.

"I could show you some... if you like?"

She bit her lip. The apprehension of watching magic washed over her. She felt like she was breaking the law or doing something scandalous. She wasn't like her family. She was curious about magic. She wanted to know about it and the people gifted with it. However, she was afraid of it. Jack seemed to catch the uncertainty on her face because he reached across the gap, taking her hand in his.

"Something small," he reassured her, "I promise it'll be safe."

The look on Jack's face showed his disappointment when she hesitated, making her feel the sting of guilt. She had to get used to magic at some point, right? Magic was the lifeblood of Guardia. It flowed through the veins of the very people. She would likely see more of it in her day to day life. If she was ever going to win anyone's trust, she couldn't shy away every time magic was brought up or even used in front of her.

"Okay."

"Really? Are you sure?"

She nodded, not trusting her voice. She couldn't show any weakness in front of anyone, not even her fear of magic, especially once she reached the capital of Guardia and met her fiancé. As much as she wanted to shy away from magic, it was going to be a part of her day to day life, she reasoned. She was also riding in a magical carriage pulled by horses made of ice. It hadn't hurt her thus far, right?

Jack held up his hands. At first, it appeared nothing happened, but then shimmering bits of dust floated around the tips until they became a near tangible white and blue mist, swirling and wafting like fog on a misty night. Aqua was torn between leaning forward to look and pulling away. So she remained still in her seat. She hoped that the tremble in her hands was unnoticed. He had just seemed so eager to share something that was a part of his day to day life with her that she had a hard time saying no to him. It wasn't good considering Jack was not her betrothed. She was marrying the Prince.

The mist around Jack's fingers began to solidify, creating a small shaft of some sort, until gentle leaves and petals took shape. Until she was face to face with a rose, made of ice. Like the carriage and the horses. Aqua gasped in surprise when she found the air was chilled enough she could see her breath. She leaned back as Jack held out the flower to her. She swallowed thickly, realizing he wanted her to take it from him.

Jack seemed beside himself in glee. She wondered if this wasn't the part where she pat his head, gave him a sweet and told him what a good job he had done? However, she was fresh out of sweets. She also doubted he would appreciate her taking his youthful glee for something childish and treating him as such. With shaking fingers she took the flower in her hand. She doubted a child could make something as gorgeous as the ice rose in her hands. It could have passed for a real rose.

"Do you like it?" he asked.

"I thought... magic only destroyed?"

That was the truth of what she had seen from the war. Magic had burned homes. People had been drown by rivers that were near empty. Snow had ruined crops and starved her people. She was afraid to see good in it. Her father had harped on the evils of it all. Of how easily it was to corrupt the hearts of those who relied on magic. That they would curse their loved ones for coin alone. They turned on one another like vicious dogs.

"Well, it can do that too," Jack admitted. "But we won't do that, I promise."

She gave him a tight lipped smile. Jack couldn't promise those things for her. He wasn't her friend nor was he her betrothed. She wasn't sure how she was supposed to feel about Jack. He was trying to be far too accommodating for just a royal messenger. And the way he was trying to keep Zack's over devoted declarations of loyalties to a minimum? It sat weird for her.


	6. Hidden Secrets

They stopped at an inn outside of the town. Leon and Cloud paid for the room before ushering Aqua and Jack up as quickly as they could. It was... strange. Perhaps it was because she was recognizable or she would be once she married into the royal family. If... her betrothed even liked her. The thought sent her stomach rolling into tight knots. So much so, she couldn't even eat dinner.

Each breath was like a weight on her chest. What if this was a trap? What if they killed her the minute she walked through the gate? Her supposed blood 'promise' could mean nothing. What if she and the Prince hated each other? She nearly paced a path in the ground as the questions rumbled through her head. She was so lost in her thoughts that she jolted in alarm when Zack cleared his throat.

"I didn't mean to scare you but -"

"I can't be alone?" she finished.

Zack looked away. He had the decency to look at least mildly guilty. She understood, despite being uncomfortable with her new predicament. She was still the daughter of the enemy. She could be a threat to them. She would keep her watched too. At least until she followed through with her end of the bargain. Or perhaps they would always look at her with suspicion. She wouldn't blame them. She barely trusted herself either.

"That and... I figured you could use a friend."

"A friend?"

"Maybe a friendly face for now." He grinned.

Zack walked over to her and sat by her side. He kept his gaze over the hilltop, watching the stars that were beginning to dot the inky night sky. She hesitated before sitting next to him. She knew that if she didn't, she would continue pacing herself into exhaustion both mentally and physically. Though, at this rate, nerves would never let her get some rest. She was far too anxious about tomorrow to actually sleep. As much as she hated to, she would likely have to resort to asking one of her guards to use magic to spell her asleep.

"I'm fine."

"You say that but you look like you're about to pass out."

She grimaced. It was unladylike but she hated knowing that her emotions were so readable. Even to a stranger. She was supposed to have more control over her emotions than that. So other royals didn't try to take advantage of her. It was the 'Game of politics'. She had no stomach for it. She loathed being sneaky and underhanded. Vanitas' tactics involved a show of brute strength and giving the others a reason to fear him. No one on the trip had ever given her need to fear for her life. Nor were they trying to find some dirty little secret of hers to use over her.

"I think what you're doing is brave," he said.

"I hardly had a choice. My father told Jack to just take me..."

Zack's expression twisted, angry at first, but then soft, understanding... He wrapped an arm around her. More surprisingly, she let him. She chalked it up to pre-wedding jitters, but if she were truly honest with herself it was because she needed the comfort. She needed to pretend someone cared what happened. She was so afraid otherwise. She had no one else in her life. Leaving cut all ties to her family, aside from name and what she did in name of her people. But no one would miss her. Not really.

"But Jack asked you." Zack pointed out.

"I couldn't have said no. Not if marrying the Prince stops the war."

"You could have negotiated something else?"

Aqua bit her lip. She supposed she could have asked for something else. Jack had been quite amiable. He could have considered another offer. Had some part of her _wanted_ to get away from Verona, her stifling father and standoffish brother? Her heart ached over all of these confusing questions. When her shoulders sagged, Zack squeezed her a little tighter. Exhaustion was slowly creeping in on her. It felt better to talk about this than keep it bottled and brewing.

"What if the Prince doesn't like me?" she asked. "Would he kill me?"

Zack barked a laugh. However he stopped when he saw the incredulous look she gave him. He gave her shoulder a squeeze. She wasn't used to being comforted. It made her feel like a child. Although, she was getting more reassurances from this stranger than she had from her own family. Her father had seemed far too smug with her choice. Vanitas kept telling her how stupid she was for accepting. She wasn't sure what that said for her and her family.

"Trust me. He likes you just fine."

"You can't know that," she replied dryly.

"But I do. The Prince can't take his eyes off you."

"What are you talking about?"

Now Zack's look had become quizzical before morphing into something that seemed angry, but not at her, upset clearly about something he knew that she did not. He regarded her as if seeing her for the first time. Aqua frowned, tilting her head slightly in confusion. Did Zack know something she didn't? She hesitated, afraid to ask. The look on his face set her on edge. It had to be something serious if it invoked _that_ sort of reaction from him.

"You don't know? He didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?" she asked.

Zack let out a deep breath. He smoothed back his hair. Clearly at war with some information being withheld from her. She put her hand on his forearm. He owed her for helping him escape, she reasoned. The least he could do was tell her what was going on. She tried to pull her best, stern monarch expression. She had to know what he did, especially if it was being kept from her. It could very well be life or death if she continued on in the dark.

"What's going on?" she demanded, "What don't I know?"

His troubled expression made her chest feel tight - like she couldn't breathe. She had at right to know, didn't she? She was trusting these strangers to deliver her like some package to Guardia for the royal family. How could she trust them if they were hiding things from her? She squeezed his arm, trying her best to stay calm. She would catch more flies with sugar than vinegar. This wasn't Zack's fault. He could solve the whole thing if he just opened up to her.

"Jack _is_ the third Prince of Guardia," Zack said, deciding to be swift and to the point with his delivery. "You're getting married to him."

"Jack? No! He said... he said..."

"He _said_ he was the royal messenger." Zack finished.

Her head spun. She could almost see the stars, dancing before her eyes. Jack was the Prince? He lied to her? Her stomach clenched. She had told him about herself. She let him use magic in front of her! She withdrew her hand from his forearm adn clasped them both tightly in front of her. How could he do this to her? Was the whole marriage a joke to him - a game? She bit her lip so hard she could taste blood.

"But... he... why?"

Hot misty tears welled up in her eyes. Jack lied. She trusted him and he lied. Didn't he think it was important she knew that before hand? What did he expect? She had to find out at some point. They couldn't have gotten far in their engagement without her knowing. She was struggling under a whirlwind of emotions. She wasn't sure what she should do. The floor had been swept from beneath her feet.

"He wanted to meet you first. Get to know you in a neutral location," Zack explained. "You'll act differently around him when you're putting on castle airs..."

"But he lied."

She fought to keep that pathetic warble out of her voice. She barely knew him. She had no idea why she was getting so emotional. Jack owed her nothing. However, it was still starting their relationship on a bed of lies. He couldn't even trust her with his real identity. And yet he asked her personal questions in hopes of getting to know her. He might have volunteered his own information but it was still a lie. How was she supposed to face him knowing what she did now?

"I know. I'm sorry you had to hear it from me." Zack said. "He should have told you."

Aqua bowed her head. Jack couldn't even tell her himself. She had to find out from Zack. To be fair, Zack hadn't wanted to tell her but she had a feeling he couldn't just let her continue in the dark either. Not when the situation was this big. Her betrothed couldn't trust her with his name so how could he trust her in his wedding bed? She wanted to scream. Rage. Shake Jack until his teeth rattled. None of those were particularly lady like. All very unbecoming of a princess.

"What am I supposed to say?" she whispered.

"Ask him for the truth?" Zack suggested. "See if he owns up to it."

"And if he doesn't?"

Zack paused to consider this. She was trapped in this whether Jack lied or not. She already gave her blood to the cause. If she broke the contract, her life was forfeit. She was scared of what that meant for her relationship with anyone else from Guardia. So far Zack - the murderer from her childhood - was being more candid with her than her future husband. That alone was frightening.

"Tell me and I'll take you away from here," he declared.

"What?"

He said it so matter of fact that it caught Aqua off guard. If she wished it, he would steal her away and be done with it. As if her problems were that simple. She nearly laughed but he looked so serious that it choked in her throat. Her heart clenched in her chest. Vanitas wouldn't even fight to get her back in case something horrible happened in this marriage and yet Zack would.

"I mean it. If he lies to you to your face then he won't be a good husband for you."

"You... don't even know me. Why would you do this?"

"It's dishonorable to lie to you. I didn't approve of his plan in the first place. But... he's had plenty of time to tell you the truth." Zack shrugged.

* * *

"Jack, can I talk to you?"

Aqua didn't want to confront him, but Zack was right. If Jack was willing to lie to her, he would not make for a good ally or husband. However, she was too far in to really do anything about it. She was miles away from home. She sighed a contract in her own blood. She was effectively trapped. She couldn't hide from this, nor could Jack. She had to say something, even if it was going to be painful and uncomfortable for them both.

"Sure."

He readily got up, crossing the distance between them. Clearly, he couldn't tell she was upset. If he did, he didn't say anything. She didn't know whether to find that endearing or frustrating. Luckily, Jack seemed to realize she wanted this to be private so they slipped into one of the other rooms they had booked. She waited until he closed the door behind him to actually say anything. She didn't want the others overhearing, especially if she got overly emotional. Having Zack see her cry was shame enough.

"What did you want to talk about?"

"I spoke with Zack," she said slowly.

"Oh! Did you two talk things through?"

"Not quite…"

Jack frowned, cocking his head to the side with his brows furrowed. He probably didn't even think there could be another reason for her to speak with Zack aside from what had happened in their shared past. While Aqua was willing to let it go because it had been so long ago, she wasn't about to forget. Zack was dangerous to her, even if he had been helping her the last hour or so come to terms with what had been hidden. She would feel awful foolish if he had lied. Even worse so since she had believed him about it.

"Then what is it?"

"He said you were the Prince."

He went a ghastly white, confirming Zack's statement without a word. He turned away, unable to look at her. Clearly guilty. She felt her chest tighten. Now that it was addressed she had to have a few questions answered. It was going to be a painful process. She just knew it. She didn't want things to end up like this but she wasn't the one keeping secrets. She hadn't lied about who she was or sent a proxie in her place.

"So it's true…" she whispered. "Why didn't you say something?"

"I was going to… at first… I promised it was only to get past the guards at your palace but I… wanted to get to know you without the pressure of the engagement…"

She looked to ack, her head suddenly reeling. She shook her head slightly. Now he was finally admitting it, when he had no choice. When she had confronted him with what Zack said. She wanted to hit him. Still, the news hit her heavily. Aqua felt like the floor had been knocked out beneath her feet. She took a step back from him, surprising him. When he reached out to her, she drew back, wrapping her arms around herself. He let his hand drop, realizing she was in no mood to deal with his attempts to comfort her.

"Was… was this some sort of game?"

"No!" he insisted quickly. "It's not like that!"

"Then why pretend that you were the messenger? You lied to me… Made me…"

She had been vulnerable with him when she thought he was just a messenger. She had told him things she considered to be rather personal like her fears of this marriage. He probably sat there and laughed about it when her back was turned. Not even married yet and he already made her look like a fool. It made her want to cry. She refused to do so in front of Jack. She would not give him the satisfaction.

"Would you have honestly told Prince Jackson anything you told Jack the messenger?" he asked.

Aqua kept her mouth shut. Of course she wouldn't have. She always had an easier time talking to servants than other royals. Besides, she likely would have swallowed her tongue if she knew he was her betrothed. She was afraid enough as it was that he didn't like her and now... Now she wasn't sure she did want him to like her. He seemed just as manipulative as the royals her father invited to the castle. They were prejudiced or only after her for her royal lineage. Because if something happened to Vanitas and she bore a son, that child would be king.

"I didn't think so."

"Where does that leave us now?" she asked.

"I... I'm not sure," he confessed.

She didn't reply. She wasn't sure what to do now. She was equal parts angry and thankful that Zack had told her. She would have been made an absolute fool if she walked into the castle not knowing. She didn't want them to think so little of her that they kept things from her. This was only eating at her own insecurities. She was feelings so much at once that she wished she could be numb instead. Anything would be better to the negativity in her heart.

"I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean for this to happen."

Aqua shook her head. She couldn't handle apologies yet. She wasn't quite ready to forgive and forget such an omission so soon. Maybe eventually but tonight was not that night. She stepped away, creating a rift between them. Jack sighed, clearly upset with the turn of things. He had caused this. She wasn't about to let him guilt her into apologizing when she wasn't the one who had lied the way he had. Marriage, even a political one like theirs, should have some basis of trust.

"Is Jack even your real name?" she asked, dodging his apology.

"Sort of? It's Jackson, but everyone calls me Jack," he said, "Is it okay if I call you Aqua?"

She wanted to say no. Only Vanitas had called her that, but her full name was such a mouthful and she had already gotten used to being called Aqua. She never had a nickname before now. But she had to bite back some scathing remark about Jack doing as he pleased. It sat on the tip of her tongue, weighty and bitter. It wasn't like her to be so angry and hateful. The thought frightened her because in that moment, she reminded herself of her father.

"Okay."

Jack seemed to be relieved to hear it, but just because she was allowing him to use a nickname, it didn't mean she wasn't still mad at him. This was far more complicated than she was willing to cope with at the moment. She was exhausted from the events of the evening. This was not how she expected her meeting with her betrothed to go. She was even too tired to muster up any real argument now that she had gotten past the initial confrontation. She knew the truth now. She wasn't sure she was all the better for it.

"I think I'd like to turn in for the night." She said, "Alone."

"Oh… Uh, sure… Of course."

Jack turned to go to the door, leaving her be at last, but right when he got to the frame he turned to look at her. She hesitantly looked up at him, wincing when she saw the sorrow on his face. They had been making good headway before this. She would have even considered him a friend. Now, she wasn't sure what to make of him. If there was anything she disliked, it was being uncertain in her actions.

"Goodnight Aqua."

"Goodnight Jackson."


	7. Fall Out

Jack was seething with rage when he shut the door. She had called him Jackson. As if to show him how angry she was with him. _Jackson_. He wanted to hit something. He had come so far with her, only to have it blow up in his face. A dark look crossed his face. He told the men he would talk to Aqua when the time came. He would tell her the truth. Instead, that was snatched from him by Zack no less.

The young monarch stalked into the room that the guards were sharing, rounding on Zack directly. He marched right up to him, jabbing an accusatory finger in his chest. The raven haired man didn't even look the least bit surprised. He had probably even sent Aqua to Jack himself. If he were a cruel man, Jack would have had him punished for insubordination. King Xehanort had his men killed for less. But Jack wasn't like Xehanort and he hoped to never be like him.

"I was going to tell her!" Jack insisted.

"When Jack? When you were putting the ring on her finger?" Zack sneered.

Jack wrinkled his nose in distaste. He had hated keeping it from her, but even she admitted that if she knew he was who he was, she wouldn't have spoken as freely as she did. His bride was frustrating. She was a serious of contradictions. Nothing like her father or her people. She was afraid of magic, but willing to be around it. She saved two people who would have died without her help – one of which was a citizen of his country.

"When she was no longer looking over her shoulder!"

Zack groaned in frustration. The young King-to-Be winced, realizing what was wrong. Aqua had been nervous before, afraid even. But she had no reason not to trust them until he gave her one – like the fact that everything that had happened until that point had been some façade. He made her think things weren't safe. He would be afraid if he were in her shoes too. She didn't even have the means to protect herself if she needed to.

"Don't you realize that you just broke her trust? She's going to be paranoid that everything you say is a lie now."

"I know!" Jack shouted.

Thin layers of ice spread on the floor around him. A few of the older knights shot sympathetic looks from their bunks when his shoulders slumped in defeat. He made a mess out of everything. He didn't know what he was thinking. Just that things would be easier on him if he got to know his wife without the pressures of their titles but he completely disregarded her feelings on the matter. In fact, he disregarded her at all. Perhaps far too focused on assuring the end to the war to realize that he was going to spend the rest of his life with the woman.

"I know..." he said quieter. "You're a married man, Zack... How have you apologized to your wife?"

"Grovel for mercy. Aerith's scary when she's mad."

"Apparently so is Aqua. But her anger is quiet."

Jack grimaced. That wasn't much help. He didn't know how, but he went from angry and yelling at everyone, to seeking advice. But he had never had to impress anyone before, not like Aqua anyways. He wanted her to like him. He wanted their union to work. She was a good kind person deep down. Coaxing her to show her true self had been hard, but very much worth it. Now she was likely going to retreat in on herself, too afraid to let him get close again.

"She needs you to show her you trust her. Give her more freedoms."

"I'll... let her choose someplace she wants to stop in. I won't follow her. I'll let her have space."

"We don't have time to make another stop, Your Majesty," Leon said.

The King was expecting them back soon. If they didn't, then he would send guards to find them. They didn't need to be scolded because Jack had messed up and was trying to get back into the good graces of the quiet princess. At least Jack saw how that he had made a mistake, one that he was willing to fix. Not many royals would own up to their shortcomings. It was why his men were loyal to him. He was a good man, even if he was still young. That was the making of a good King.

"I mean when we get to the castle. You can't have guards stalking her every step she takes and you have to let her do what she wants," Zack said.

"My ma used to say more flies with honey than vinegar," Cloud said quietly.

It was the most that Cloud had spoken of his past. He didn't like to go into detail of what happened in Nibelheim – a victim of the war that was being waged. The village had been burned to the ground, leaving very few survivors. People were trying to rebuild there. However, it caused Cloud too much pain to stay. So he had joined the army, working his way up the ranks. It was understandable. He had lost his home and his family. If anyone understood Aqua, it would be him.

"The people are going to object, but her comfort is more important."

Jack had a point. She needed to see Guardia for what it was, not the propaganda that her father fed her and everyone else under his rule. The war was not as simple as one party attacking another. Xehanort was fooling his own people into blindly following him by controlling information. Keep the dirty secrets from them and the people would believe anything he told them. It was a dirty and underhanded tactic to stay in power. Because if they really knew what was going on, they would revolt. But this was war. Anything goes, even lying. Jack felt immensely guilty for having joined in that mentality.

"Things in Verona are... complicated," Zack said. "The King controlled all the information flow that their people received. _I_ even thought magic was bad before I met Aerith."

Everyone in the room shifted. They all knew how difficult things were with Verona involved. The war had been ongoing for nearly two and a half decades. Zack more so than the others. Verona had been his home. He wanted to be a hero so he joined the military. He thought that by fighting magic, he would become one, but then he met Aerith. She had been so afraid and so very human. Not like the monster he had he been told the magic users were. She could hardly hurt a fly let alone kill someone in cold blood.

"All the more reason I want to set this right," Jack said, determined. "Controlling her was the last thing is I wanted her to feel like I was doing. It'd be...too close to home."

"Just pay attention to her. Sooner or later, she'll tip her hand on something she likes, you can maybe give her a gift and apologize further."

"Do it in a way that doesn't make it sound like you're trying to buy her affection," Pence chimed in.

Zack nearly barked a laugh. Now everyone was going to jump in with their own ideas on how to woo the princess. Zack knew it wasn't going to be simple. Aqua's heart had been cut off from the world thanks to her father's influence. The timid little girl with a kind heart he met all those years ago was buried in there somewhere. They just had to find a way to drag her to the surface and get rid of this inferiority complex that had taken its place.

Jack sighed and brushed the ice off his sleeves. It melted away, leaving no evidence. Jack and his family had always been rather prominent with ice magic. His level of control was through years of practice and dedication. Even if he had spent many of those years goofing off and having fun. Now he had no choice but to buckle down and grow serious. This was a harsh lesson for him. He could have very well have ruined his relationship with Aqua all because he wanted to take the easy route for himself.

"She'll assume I'm doing that now that she knows the truth," Jack lamented, "Even when I'm not."

"Be patient and kind," Leon advised.

"And more importantly _honest_. Even if it's hard to talk about," Zack insisted.

"I hate to tell you this," Hayner said, "But you're marrying her. So you've got to make it work."

Jack shook his head. He didn't think this was going to work. Not when it seemed like she hated him. He didn't think there was anywhere to go now that he hit rock bottom. Dread sank into him like an iron weight. How was he supposed to spend the rest of his life with someone who hated him? He was afraid of that. There was no going back now. He had made the contract with her. They had to get married in order to broker the peace both kingdoms desperately needed. He only wished he could do so with the same resigned grace that Aqua did.

"This isn't ideal, but not irreparable either," Leon said.

They wanted this to work just as much as Jack did. They had all seen too many friends die in the name of this awful battle. They wanted to end the war just as much as Jack, if not more. Jack and his family weren't the ones on the battlefield. North forbade it. He could not lose his children in the senseless violence that was spreading across their country. Verona was doing a number to their defenses. But really, it could very well have continued on for another twenty years if not stopped.

"You have to give her time to calm down," Cloud pointed out. "She's just as scared as you are."

"Perhaps more?" Zack agreed, recalling how terrified she had been when he told her, "She's given up her home, her family, and all sense of normalcy to end this war."

Aqua had also been carted away by a group of strange men claiming to be from Guardia. For all she knew, they had wicked intentions for her. She was probably petrified now that she knew she was in the presence of a murderer and a liar. Uprooted entirely from the life she knew before being thrust into this wild whirlwind to Guardia - the enemy country. Jack groaned. He didn't even know where to begin in fixing everything he had done. He honestly could not blame Aqua if she never forgave him.

"Excuse me. I just need to think about all of this," Jack said.

He left the room, to go to the last room they had rented. His room. As he left, he heard a chorus of 'good night your majesty' from the men. With a heavy heart, he shut the door behind him and slumped against the wood. He had screwed this up so royally he wasn't sure there as a way to fix it. Around him, frost began to spread around the room, chilling everything around him.


	8. Meet the Frost Family

Aqua slept fitfully that night. She certainly didn't feel rested when she had to get up the next morning and get into the carriage with Jack. It made sense now, why he rode in the carriage with her. His identity was just as important as hers to keep hidden. It was sheer stupidity to shout to every bandit out there, they were traveling royals. It would be akin to painting a target on their backs, begging to be robbed or killed. She wasn't sure what sort of fight could ensue with magic involved. Only Jack had used magic around her. Perhaps it was because he knew she was ill at ease with it.

The tension in the caravan became tense. The guards knew that she knew that Jack wasn't who he claimed he was. She didn't know who told - Zack or Jack. At this point, she was beyond caring. She wasn't looking to fight and argue about it. She just didn't want to be lied to anymore. It didn't seem like she was asking for much. Honesty didn't seem so difficult. She was just as scared as he was. His inability to fess up made her feel like he wasn't taking this seriously. That this was a joke to him. She wasn't sure _if_ or _when_ she would trust him again.

Jack tried to engage in small talk, but she wasn't in the mood to humor him. She kept her responses short and sweet. She was still hurting over recent events. All she really wanted was for Jack to let her recover on her own. Too much had changed too fast. She felt emotionally drained. Whiplash from the ebb and flow of highs and lows. She might have cried again if she hadn't used up all of her tears the night before. Her pounding head reminded her of a cotton stuffed doll.

Aqua felt ill as they rolled through the village. She could see curious glances at the carriage. She cringed away from the window. Her father hated her reservations when it came to socializing. She never liked being the center of attention however. She flinched when Jack shut the curtain. He gave her a sympathetic look. She wanted to _hate_ him for it but even having the curtain as a barrier was a relief. It wouldn't do much considering it was only a visible protection from the outside world.

"Thank you."

"Any time."

And they lapsed into the awkward silence once more. They had nothing to look at but one another. She was afraid to speak, considering the thoughts swirling through her head. Jack had already gotten one lecture from her. A second would have been excessive repetition for the sake of harping at him. She made her point clear. She hadn't liked being kept in the dark. She had been upfront and honest. Apparently Jack could not be.

"You can meet my family tonight," Jack said.

"Not right away?"

"I figured you wanted to see your rooms and settle in first."

She pursed her lips. She was partially glad that she didn't have to meet them immediately. She would have time to collect herself. She hated how he was trying to be thoughtful however. Even after all of this... She sighed. She willed herself not to be angry. Jack was all sheepish smiles and uncertain looks. She looked down. She hadn't expected to have her own rooms. She half expected them to shove her into the Prince's room - Jack's room - as quickly as possible.

"I... appreciate it."

"Listen, I know this... shouldn't have gone the way it did but if there is anything I can do to make your stay more comfortable, please tell me."

She looked away, unable to meet his gaze. She knew he meant well, but just promising her heart's content was not going to repair things so easily. She would not be bought out for affections. She wasn't shallow. A part of her screamed at the indignation over the thought. Her father had tried before he realized he would never win her to his side that way. They didn't understand how it made her feel. She wrinkled her nose hoping Jack wasn't like her father. Schooling her expression, she looked away and said nothing else.

* * *

As much as she longed to hide away and never come out of the bedroom, Aqua knew she had to meet her betrothed's family at some point. Thankfully, she didn't have to meet them at the gate. She didn't think she could put on the best airs when she was still so angry with Jack. However, it was not putting her best foot forward with her in-laws if she hid. She couldn't avoid this but she was good at pretending she felt one way when she really felt another. It was how she had survived so long in her father's court. She could pretend for one more night.

A servant came to the room to fetch her for dinner. She wasn't sure if she was glad of the silence or if it worsened the leaded rock of dread in the pit of her stomach. She was brought to the dining hall, an elegant room, in white, silver and blues. There was a table with five place settings. The table was laden with a wide variety of foods. Were they perhaps trying to cater to her preferences? Should she be worried they would poison her? But why bring her here if that was the case? She pushed it aside. They wouldn't kill her. Not after all the effort it took to get her there.

She felt herself go stiff in her tracks as her eyes fell on the head of the table. Nikolas 'North' Frost spotted her the moment she spotted him. She tried to keep her expression schooled and neutral. It was too late to tell them she wasn't feeling well and wasn't up for a meal. Too late to go back home and call off the marriage. She had no one to go back to. No home to call her own. She was a prisoner in both. She stood straighter and held her head high, not to let her lack of freedom get to her.

"Ah!" he boomed, "You are Aquamarine!"

His loud voice brought all eyes on her. North was a giant man in both size and stature. He unlike his children was decked in soft velvety red with black trim. His sleeves had been rolled back so she could see tattoos up the lengths of his arms. Hands that had seen battle with scars decorating the skin, hidden under the ink. An enormous cloak was draped over the back of his chair at the head of the table. Perhaps as a child she would have wanted to run her hand along the length of the cloak because it looked incredibly plush and extremely warm.

There was a woman with a dress of blue. Her dress glittered like glass in the warm light of the room, giving her an almost ethereal glow. In comparison, Aqua felt like she could not hold a candle to the woman's delicate features and breathtaking beauty. Her hair was long and braided. She was not like the men in the room, armed to the teeth with weapons at the sides of their chairs. There was an aura about her that despite her delicate grace, she could handle herself just fine on her own.

There was a man with almost silver hair, like Jack's eyeing her. His eyes were electric blue and just as piercing. She shifted a little under his gaze. She felt uncomfortable under his gaze. Even sitting, Aqua could tell he was a very tall man. His expression gave him the air of someone with a no-nonsense attitude which vastly varied from what she saw from Jack during their travels together.

Then there was Jack. She looked away from him. Being near him left her conflicted. She couldn't escape him no more than she could escape the marriage now that she was in Guardia. He was her husband to be. Jack seemed to sense her discomfort because he too looked away. She frowned. He would not get to play the victim card. She had been the one hurting. Not him. She took a deep breath to remind herself to be calm.

She didn't have time to react before North got to his feet and strode towards her. She was all but dwarfed in his gargantuan size. She swallowed thickly. Nickolas 'North' Frost was infamous on the battlefield. Men fled if they knew the King would be present. Her father had filled her head with stories of his brutality. He was more monster than man. Her knees knocked beneath teh folds of her dress, hidden in the plumage her father insisted was a gown. She felt more like a tiny marshmallow in front of a giant than a Princess meeting a King.

"I-It's a pleasure to meet you sir," she said.

She curtsied to the man, as was expected of her. A princess had to when meeting another foreign dignitary, particularly a king. She only hoped he didn't notice the way her hands shook. Her father had painted North as a cruel man who took joy out of causing pain for the sake of it. North stopped in front of her. She kept her gaze down out of the fear that she would invoke his wrath if she so much as breathed the wrong way. He loomed over her when she righted herself.

Aqua gave a startled cry when the man gave out a joyous laugh and lifted her off her feet. She was pulled into a bone crushing hug before receiving a kiss on either cheek. Then she was promptly set down, blinking in owlish confusion. Her mouth opened to say something, but she closed it when she realized she didn't know what to say. Of all the greetings she was expecting, it was _not_ that one. She barely managed to keep herself from gaping like an open mouth fish. But her composure was quickly gathered back up, even though she was pulling at strings at this point.

"Very polite!" North laughed. "Will do Jackie boy good."

"J-Jackie boy?" she croaked.

"My nickname..." Jack injected.

"I see..."

She would not be using his nickname. To her he was Jackson. It gave her some semblance of control. It would also irk him since he said he preferred to be called Jack. Calling him by his given name was petty, but here in Guardia she had little power and very little say. She would not give Jack the satisfaction. Though she doubted she would be able to get him to use her full name. She wondered if it was too spiteful for her to do that, but when Jack suddenly looked shame faced the thought went out the window. He got up from his seat and walked over to her.

"Clearly," the young woman at the table said, "We have much to talk about. Please, would you join us, Aquamarine?"

The woman strode towards her. Each step was graceful and elegant. She held out her hand to Aqua. Avoiding looking at Jack or at North, she placed her hand in the woman's and allowed herself to be guided to her seat. The other young man pulled out a chair for her and once she was seated, he pushed it in. Jack returned to his seat looking as if she had openly scolded him in front of his family. Good. He deserved it. She wondered if he told them what he did. Or if he would lie to them too? If he did, she would take Zack up on his offer to smuggle her out of the kingdom. She could not trust a liar for a husband.

"My name is Elsa. I'm Jack's older sister."

"I'm Riku."

"It's nice to meet you."

The knee jerk comment made them exchange a look. Aqua hadn't truly meant it when she said it, they knew that, but the tone was a forced one, clearly feigning happiness. Aqua doubted she would ever truly be happy in Guardia. But was she ever truly happy in Verona? No. She had been good at pretending but she had been just as lonely there as she expected to be in Guardia. She didn't feel so bad about leaving because she had no one who would miss her. No one would mourn if she died. She was the spare child. No one had time for the quiet princess who preferred books to war. The other Princesses were more interested in gossip and backstabbing. The men looked down on her because of her gender. And her father kept her as far away from the villagers as possible. She had no one.

"Quite." Elsa said quietly. "How was the journey here? You must be exhausted."

Aqua kept her gaze down on the place setting, even as Jack and North took their seats once more. She wasn't sure if it was a blessing or not that Elsa and Riku saw it fit to put her on the opposite side of the table from her betrothed. Perhaps they were afraid she'd take the salad fork and stab him with it. She felt the eyes on her. Everyone was watching her every movement. They didn't trust her either. Not even after she gave up everything to end the war and be there... She supposed they would never fully trust her and resolved to do the same.

"I'll be fine."

Elsa seemed to hum quietly in response. Aqua had the feeling the Frost family didn't believe her. She wasn't exactly very confident in herself or her decision after the expedition. She couldn't take her feelings out on her in-laws. As far as she knew, they had nothing to do with Jack's lies. They had not earned her ire like he had. Still, mustering up her usual facade wasn't as easy as it normally was. Her heart wasn't in it.

"Did you see anything particularly interesting on the way in?" Elsa asked.

"No."

The royal family seemed to realize she was retreating. Shutting down and closing them out. Jack's little 'adventure' had damaged the trust he could have had with her. She wasn't ready to be social or open. And so began the most awkward dinner that she had ever experienced with the Frosts trying to engage in small talk but her volunteering very little.


	9. Lectured

A servant escorted Aqua back to her room after perhaps one of the most awkward meals that Jack had ever had in his entire life. Just as he let out a sigh of relief, he got a smack upside the back of the head. He winced before looking to see who had smacked him. He came across an irate Elsa and a nonplussed Riku. It could have been either of them, or both of them. Both of them were both shocked and mystified by what he had done to muck up the budding relationship he should have had.

"What were you thinking?" Elsa demanded. "You earned her trust and yanked it out beneath her. Why couldn't you tell her the truth?"

"I was going to! The messenger thing was only to get me in the door! But we just started talking more and more…" Jack fessed.

It was his fault for letting it get so far. His men told him that. They had all given him a piece of his mind after Zack told Aqua the truth. She had put a lot of trust in him just letting him come in and whisk her away like that with very little pretense. Trusting of her to not expect them to do anything awful to her in the night or kill her. He realized that now. But it had been so easy to talk to her when she thought he was just another commoner. She didn't have as many guards. Now, well, her heart may as well as have been a fort.

"You have to make it up to her, Jack," Riku said. "Now she's going to feel like she can't trust any of us."

"I know…" Jack sighed.

North watched the young adults bicker back and forth about the best way to earn Jack's bride-to-be's trust back. He knew it wasn't entirely Jack's fault. He had to find a safe way to navigate his way into Verona. Especially in these times where Xehanort deemed any and all magic a punishable offense – by death. He had his worries when he sent Jack off. He honestly feared that he would never see his son again. He was proud when the young man came back with his bride to be in tow, but now he was disappointed by the means in which Jack had managed such a feat. He thought he had taught the young man better.

"Jackson?"

"Yes, dad?"

"What was things like in Verona?"

Jack scratched the back of his neck. He had spent a day or two scouting the town before he went to the castle. He had talked to the people, trying to get the best feel for the royal family. From what he had been told, King Xehanort was a just and mighty man who only looked out for the best interest of his people. His son Vanitas was a bit tempestuous and had a blood lust that startled even the most seasoned of veteran fighters. As for Aquamarine, he had been told her kindness was boundless and he was practically a patron saint.

When traveling with her, he had seen the kindness, along with a more hesitant nature. She hadn't known her boundaries with Jack so she had tested them cautiously, apologizing instantly if she thought she had upset him in any way. But after she found out he had been lying, he could tell she had been scared and angry with him. She had every right to be. He had snapped her trust like a toothpick. Now he was having a hard time getting her to open up to him at all. Though, he didn't blame her.

"Hostile. They really think we're the enemies there. That all their problems are because Guardia keeps attacking them."

"You're kidding, right? Verona attacked first." Elsa protested.

The thought that Xehanort had twisted the true cause of the war to serve his own agenda had the younger royals seeing red. It was not the case. Things were not as black and white as the people of Verona had been told. But how could Guardia ever unveil the true reasons when the people were being fed bad information? It would stand to believe, that even Aqua thought that Guardia was the big bad perpetrator of the war. That they were the monsters under the bed threatening to devour her entire kingdom.

"I know that! But that's not what their king has told them."

North stroked his beard. He did wonder how the entire Kingdom fell in line with Xehanort's manner of thinking. But this was evidence enough, they didn't know the whole truth because their King was manipulating things from the shadows. With half truths and only horrific details being spread, fear mongering was how Xehanort kept his people in line without questioning his authority. Control over what the people knew and what they didn't wasn't a good way to run a kingdom.

North had declarations sent out to every village under his province. He wanted make sure to let them know what was happening within their lands and outside of their lands. If someone had a problem, they came to him. He heard them out as fairly and as justly as he could. There were a few times he had been wrong. After being called out he rectified the situation. But he liked to believe that most of his subjects knew that he was a good man who believed in right and wrong.

"Explains why she is meek," North mused.

"I… think her dad made her feel…"

"Feel what?" Riku asked.

Jack sighed. He was divulging information she had given him when he was 'Jack the messenger' but this was important. He had to read between the lines to get it but he was more perceptive than he let on. Some of it she put bluntly. Her opinions didn't matter. She didn't matter. The self-loathing was there under the words. He dreaded how it came to head. Someone in her life had to have put her down enough that she believed those things. That 'she was doing this for her people' and no one else.

She was a good person. He didn't want to think that she could believe those things about herself. But he had also grown up differently. His father cried with joy when he was a boy and showed his first display of magic. His mother would tuck him in and read him stories. He was surrounded by people who loved him and encouraged him to be the best that he could be. For Aqua, things had clearly been different. Her father was willing to marry her off without even consulting her. Granted, Aqua had come to the same agreement, but Jack wanted this to be Aqua's decision. Not her father's.

"When she was talking about the whole marriage thing, it was as if her feelings on the matter didn't mean anything," Jack explained.

His family exchanged looks. The marriage would be a strained one. They had been certain of it even before Aqua had agreed to it. But with a woman who literally shut down her heart the moment she felt something… It would be difficult to get through to her for them to prove they weren't out to hurt her. Though if anyone was up for the challenge, it would be Jack. He had the biggest heart among all three of the young royals and the most to give to a broken heart like Aqua's.


	10. The Library and the Icy Princess

Aqua made her way to the library. It was the only thing she found that occupied her time. She was still seething at Jackson and was too afraid of anyone else in the castle to socialize. She stepped into the room before perusing the shelves. She found a book that was to her liking but as she rounded the corner to sit in the alcove that she had all but openly declared was hers, she stopped in her tracks. Elsa was already sitting there, reading as well. Aqua froze like a deer in the headlights. She had been avoiding people as much as she could.

"Hello Aquaria."

The Princess of Guardia smiled devastatingly. She was glorious radiance and beauty in a way that Aqua knew she could never achieve. Granted, the gowns sent with her were none too flattering. Or at least the ones meant for day to day wear. The 'wedding dress' her father sent (if it could be called that) looked horrendous. Like something some street walker would wear. To save face, she wondered if she shouldn't just throw the garish heap of fabric into the fireplace and find a new one? But those were thoughts for another day.

"O-Oh, Your Majesty. I… I didn't mean to intrude. I-I'll leave you be."

Elsa's smile waned. Aqua would have to find somewhere else to read. Certainly not there and not her own bedchambers because Jack had been trying to catch her there in an attempt to talk. She wasn't ready to forgive and forget yet. She turned to go but the young monarch had already risen to her feet and placed a cool hand on Aqua's forearm. Aqua recoiled, making Elsa let her go but she still looked rather insistent.

"No, no, it's okay," Elsa assured her. "Please, join me?"

Unable to think of a quick enough excuse to get away, Aqua seated herself stiffly across from the other Princess. Elsa resumed her dainty smile and took her seat once more. At least her future sister in law was happy. That had to count for something, right? As long as she got along with her future in-laws, she could learn to be happy too. That was just how things were going to be. She wasn't happy now, but she could learn to be so, or at least pretend to be so.

"I love books. They've been my closest friends since I was a child," Elsa said.

That managed to get a small shy smile out of Aqua. She too had buried herself in books. She wasn't much like the other nobles that frequented her father's court. Often she was made fun of because her hair was so outlandish that the other children had called her a witch. They shortly stopped after threats from her father but then none of them wanted to be around her. She couldn't blame them. She didn't want to be around someone like the King's daughter when the man threatened to hang any child that called her a witch again. To make an example of false claims.

"Me too. I... never got out to see the kingdom much so... books were the only escape from the castle."

Her father was a controlling man. Unless he had absolute control over every detail, she was barely let out of the castle walls. It was odd here. That North and Jackson grant her so much freedom when she was technically a war bride. A token to stop the war between their two nations. A trophy wife. She could probably even walk out of the castle front gates and they wouldn't stop her. Not that she was going to try. She doubted that the villagers would be as kind and accepting as the royal family apparently was. She had caught sour looks on the faces of the servants so she gave them a wide berth as well.

"Riku is more outgoing than I am. He visits the kingdom far more frequently... and I now noticed Jack does." Elsa said.

Aqua's smile faded in comparison to the teasing grin that Elsa shot her. Yes, Jack had been in and out of the town nearby, trying and buying gifts for her to try to win her trust back. Aqua didn't want the gifts. She often put the flowers in vases outside of her door on the pillars. The clothes and jewelry remained unworn. The sweets unsampled though deviously tempting. The only thing she had allowed him so far was evening meals together in which she said very little, ate what was on her plate before excusing herself from the table. She knew she probably shouldn't have. By all rights, North could have kept her seated because it was rude to rise before the King did, but she couldn't stand being around them.

"I see..." Aqua said. "And does Riku want to rule the kingdom?"

"We're all in training to do it," Elsa said, "But the truth is I'm not much of a political person. You'd more likely find me here."

A maid walked around the stacks, carrying a tray of tea. She offered the pair a kind smile before pouring a glass for Elsa. Much to Aqua's surprised a second tea cup appeared out of thin air. She barely concealed a flinch. It was not unnoticed by the maid or by Princess Elsa. Both of which exchanged sympathetic looks. She hated that. She didn't want their sympathy or their pity. She had survived just fine without magic in her life. Now it seemed that magic was going to be a part of every single day. But a second glass was poured for her as well. The maid curtsied before leaving them alone once more.

"In Verona a Queen has never ruled. It was always a King."

"Patriarchy," Elsa said dryly.

"My brother was always going to rule. Why are things so different here?"

There was never an option for her to rule. Vanitas was always going to rule. She was just a spare. More or less intended to be a child bearer than a ruler. Groomed to be submissive to her father's every order. Though, she didn't believe that went too well considering that she was now in the kingdom of his former enemy and going to marry one of htem. If Jack hadn't stepped in, she might have gotten married off to Lord Saix or Lord Xigbar. Both men had made offers for her hand.

"Because in Guardia, we decide to let our magic do the talking," Elsa said.

Elsa held out her hands. Tiny snow flurries danced around her fingertips. Elsa looked at her, watching her reaction before letting the snow disappear when Aqua went rigid in her seat. The young Verona Princess had to fight to the urge to flee. Elsa appeared upset over Aqua's reaction, hurt but understanding of her feelings. Aqua felt a pang of guilt but her father's prejudice of magic had gripped her heart in its stifling fear. She was not going to get over this fear of magic overnight. She had been told about the horrific things that magic were capable of. People in her kingdom had been murdered by magic. For magic.

"It knows no gender, no ruling. It just knows the heart and belief of the people," Elsa said.

Aqua took a deep breath and tried to pretend she hadn't cringed. Another thing she would have to work on. If she was going to live here for the rest of her life, she needed to learn to live with magic. She didn't know how she was going to overcome the fear without constant exposure to it. It seemed too personal to just ask for people to use magic around her. Especially if her reactions were always so dour. It was a vicious cycle of repetition.

"I supposed that makes a difference," she said politely with a too tight smile.

"Don't worry, the magic can't hurt you. I was...afraid of my abilities when I first learned about them."

"Father executed those with magic. They were dangerous."

Aqua kept her gaze fixed on her lap, thinking of all the executions her father made her attend. He made her and her brother watch, even from a young age. She thought back to the couple who had been desperately trying to escape the castle. Zack and Aerith who were now living together, with kids, in Guardia. Happy, healthy and more importantly, alive. How she had risked so much to help them get away. Because she didn't want to have to watch the woman die. She remembered feeling guilty for years, like she had unleashed some darkness on her own land by letting them go.

"And do you truly believe that?" Elsa asked.

"I... don't know what to believe."

When they were traveling, Jack had done so many wonderful things with magic. He had created a carriage out of ice. A horse that was made of snow that ate ice cubes instead of sugar cubes. He had made fire that warmed them at nights and cooked their meals. He had made the flower for her that she had thought time and time again to smash to pieces but every time she had something raised to do it, she found she couldn't do it. No one had hurt anyone with magic. Not in the time it took to travel to Guardia or in the time she had entered the castle.

"There are some people who abuse their magic and use it for dark purposes. But those people are banished from our kingdom. It's rare we have someone that does it," Elsa said with a dry chuckle.

Aqua wanted to retort those people then attacked her people but decided to keep her mouth shut. She didn't need to go starting a 'who started the war' debate. Though she doubted it would ever be water under the bridge. People died regardless of the peace treaty negotiated now. Ceaseless fighting on both parts and countless lives lost. Families completely upturned or exterminated because of blood lines and which kingdom they lay loyalty with. She had always hoped that peace could happen, but she never would have imagined it starting with a marriage. Her marriage.

"One time I accidentally set the kingdom into a state of winter in the middle of July. I thawed it, of course."

Aqua's eyes widened in horror. If it was summer, that was the height of crop season. The time in which the farmers prepared food for the rest of the year. She never had to deal with starvation personally, but she knew there were harsh winters that killed just as many due to cold and lack of food stored away for winter. The snow could shock the crops into withering. They would produce less. People could have starved even if it was one day.

"But the crops! The people... They weren't prepared!" she exclaimed.

"We had agriculture based magic fix it. I paid everyone I had unintentionally hurt. It was a twelve hour spell... all because I got in a spat with Riku."

Aqua didn't know if she could be so nonchalant about something like that. Magic was too terrifying. But her shoulders slumped. She was marrying a magic user. Jack had clearly made it known that he could use it. What if he got mad at her and froze her solid? Was the peace treaty still valid if she was a hunk of ice? She could not let her fear of magic control her every action. She had to get along with the royal family, especially since she was going to live the rest of her life there. Or until they decided to behead her or something.

"I... have to get used to magic," Aqua said in a soft whisper, but louder added, "Can... Can someone teach me about it? A teacher maybe or... a scholar?"

If she could get a tutor, someone he knew the ins and outs of the kingdom without being overbearing like the royal family or bias. The royal family would truly want to tell her only the best things about their home – her home. But she didn't want a watered down glorified propaganda piece to make her feel more comfortable there. She wanted to know everything. The good, the bad and the ugly. A neutral third party. Aqua was swallowing both her fear and her pride by asking.

"Well," Elsa said, taking a book off the shelf before handing it to Aqua. "This might help you. It's a small history on Guardia. Not so boring it'll put you to sleep like others. And I'll have a word with father."

Elsa laughed, as if remembering her own time reading the history of her nation. Aqua didn't share the laugh. Instead, she picked up the book, looking at the front and then flipping it over to look at the back. Well-worn leather binding and soft sheets of paper in between. A labor of love to have made. Not a heavy crack in the spine, but enough so she could tell it had been read enough.

"But in all seriousness, if you'd like, _I_ can help you not be afraid of magic."

Aqua stared at the monarch in disbelief. She hadn't expected Elsa to volunteer herself to show her magic. She was used to being neglected by the other nobles around her. So having anyone paying attention to her was unusual. She had just expected Elsa to let a tutor do all of the work. But… she supposed just seeing magic from Elsa wouldn't be too harmful. She hadn't tried to hurt her yet. And she wasn't just jumping into a positive history of the kingdom lecture. Maybe she understood Aqua's desire to hear it from someone else?

"You'd... do that?"

"My brother has the same abilities I do," Elsa explained, "I don't want you to be afraid of him."

Aqua nodded slowly, remembering the ice magic he had used. She had tried to throw out the ice rose he had made her but she had been so overwhelmed by the hurricane of emotions that she hadn't gotten to it. She had spent most of her time sulking alone in her bedroom, thankful that she didn't have to share chambers with Jack – yet. But she would eventually. Then she couldn't just hide away from him whenever she was achingly mad at him.

"Everything I've seen about magic is contradicting with everything know," Aqua murmured.

"Verona… fears magic." Elsa said slowly.

Aqua nodded slowly, which made the young sovereign frown. She looked away, her gaze finding the tea cup left for her by the maid. She hesitated before reaching out to pick up the porcelain. It felt just like a normal glass did, still warmed by the tea inside. After adding a single sugar cube and stirring, she looked up to see Elsa was still perturbed about what she had said. This was only the life that Aqua had grown up in. Was it hard to see the hardships that war could cause another kingdom? Aqua didn't think so. She knew that people in Guardia suffered in the war. Probably innocents caught in the cross fires or people like Aerith who were arrested for just using magic. Her crimes had been minor – a healing of a little boy who had cut open his hand. If Aerith hadn't intervened the infection from the wound would have taken the limb and possibly his life.

"Everyone there does. It only causes pain and suffering."

Elsa seemed to eye her skeptically. Or rather, Aqua supposed, not her but what she had said. Aqua remained cool under the scrutinizing gaze. She calmly took a sip of the tea. Sweet, but not too sweet, something nice and fruity versus plain black tea that Aqua had grown up on. She decided that at least Guardia had good tea. She just had to look at the positives. One small thing at a time.

"Yes. It can be dangerous if not handled properly," Elsa confessed, "Which is why we have to learn to find the beauty in it."

She held out her hands once more, waiting for Aqua to stop her automatic recoil. A snowflake formed in her hand. An elegant and intricate ice shape that sparkled in the light like a diamond. It seemed to float there, twinkling in the light. Snow wasn't so bad, Aqua decided. It was pretty even. Everyone liked snow. It reminded Aqua of childhood, when things were soft and gentle, like playing games in the snow, building snowmen and sledding. Things weren't the same once her father deemed she was an adult and all things of childhood like toys and dolls were taken away. It was undignified to roll around in the snow or muck.

"If we let the things that cause pain and suffering keep us at bay, we never truly grow," Elsa explained.

Growth. Aqua knew she needed to expand her mind more, open herself up to more, and try to trust these people more… She bit her lip. This was all so frightening. Going against everything she had been taught to believe since she was a child. But even she had to realize that something was different here. She wasn't a prisoner. She wasn't being tortured or beaten or treated poorly (at least by the royal family). They weren't acting at all the way her father said they would. It had been half of her anxiety on her way there.

"That's why... I want to learn. Something isn't adding up," she explained upon a brow raise from Elsa. "Everything here has been peaceful. Far too peaceful for what my father says about Guardia."

"Interesting…" Elsa said, "The fact you want to learn our side of the story is a sign of a good leader. A mature leader."

Aqua shook her head. She couldn't lead. She was a woman. Never mind a woman who was from the enemy kingdom. She might not have fought in any wars, but she had long since stopped trying to get her father to see reason. She had stopped advocating for peace until now. Jack had been an easy and convenient way to make the fighting and the suffering stop. All she had to do was say yes, which she had essentially, just not at the alter. It would be trying for her she supposed, when she had no feelings for him aside from distrust and hurt.

"I can't be a leader." she said.

"Of course you can."

"But these people... I'm not even from Guardia," Aqua protested. "They wouldn't want a foreigner trying to rule them."

"All the more reason for you to learn. To understand us." Elsa said, "We would rather have that than a ruler who would hate us."

Aqua felt that stabbing of guilt again. She wondered if Elsa had used this on Jack when he had told her about what happened. Making her feel bad for the way things had happened. It might have been something siblings were good at. Aqua couldn't quite be sure. She and Vanitas used to be close, but they had drifted apart upon growing up. They lost what they had because they had to be the heirs and they had to play their parts. She sought comfort in books. Vanitas sought comfort in violence and drinking.

"I'm trying. It's just... we've been at war my entire life. It's hard to see enemies as allies yet." Aqua said. "I thought I was doing that by coming here... But now... I'm so confused."

She placed a hand over her heart. Elsa placed a hand on hers consolingly. She seemed to know that Aqua was having second guesses and doubts about the marriage. Her insides squirmed with the realization that Elsa knew that. She didn't want to be a problem starter. She just wanted time to sort out her feelings first. Though, that being said, she was glad that Elsa had sat her down to talk. Because Aqua may have been too afraid to speak to her directly. Or anyone else for that matter, including Jack.

"Aqua, you have friends here."


	11. Knights' Sparring

Aqua spent much of her time after that with Elsa, much to Jack's dismay. He had been trying to get her to warm up to him, but she was still distant. Aqua found it much easier to converse with his sister than with him. The other Princess didn't push her to forgive Jack. If anything, she admonished her brother for it. Elsa let Aqua work out her feelings at her own was fighting to come to terms with everything that had happened. If that meant hiding in her room for two or three days at a time or only seeking comfort in Elsa or Zack, she would.

"Princess, the knights are training in a few. Your... personal one will be there," a maid announced when she brought them their tea for the day.

Elsa's face went red and she coughed inelegantly into her teacup. Aqua stared in surprise. She had never seen Elsa so frazzled before. She had thought such a feat impossible. And yet there she was with Elsa blushing as red as any rose. Even when she was embarrassed, she was still stunning. It was bitterly unfair. Aqua was sure she had her moments where she looked like a hot mess. However, there wasn't much to be done. Aqua wasn't like Elsa. It was like comparing apples to oranges.

"Oh...well, thank you for telling me."

The maid smiled, curtsied and left. Aqua gave Elsa a curious look. It wasn't like the woman to lose composure. Even less so since a guy was involved. Just who was the man that could stir the self proclaimed Ice Princess into a tizzy? He had to be someone impressive to melt even Elsa's defenses. But was he someone Aqua wanted to meet as well?

"Personal knight?" Aqua asked.

"He was assigned to me... Granted, we were close when we were children." Elsa said.

"So your father made him your personal bodyguard?" Aqua asked.

Just because they knew one another as children, it didn't mean the loyalty remained. It seemed like an odd reward to give someone so loyal to the family. A strange sign of trust at that. It was a dangerous position. At any moment he would be expected to throw down his life for the royal family. However, nothing in Guardia made sense to her. Up may as well as have been down and black could have been white. She was just trying to keep up and adapt to her new surroundings as best she could.

"Er... Yes and no. We both made him my bodyguard."

"Why?"

Once again Elsa's face heated in an intense blush. Aqua stared openly surprised by the pink hue, threatening to consume Elsa. Aqua raised a brow. A blush like that told Aqua a lot. IT wasn't just his sense of honor and dedicated years of service to the crown that had Elsa impressed. The Ice Princess liked him. She had never shown this reaction to anyone. Not that Aqua had much time to go on, but anyone who had been remotely too friendly with her, had been politely turned down and shut down. It made sense. Her heart belonged to someone else.

"Uh...Uh no reason! I saw a lot of... good qualities in him!"

"Like what?"

Seemingly recovered Elsa took a deep breath before taking a sip of her tea. Once again, the calm persona of the princess. Aqua was partially jealous that Elsa could regain composure but partially worried as well. What would a Princess have to hide that she could pretend so well to be okay when she wasn't? Then again, Aqua had thought herself proficient at that game, only to be proven she wasn't.

"He always puts others before himself. If there's danger afoot, he always makes sure he's the one getting hit."

"That sounds more reckless than admirable," Aqua said dryly.

"Beneath the recklessness is a strong desire to do the right thing."

Aqua nodded slowly. Someone driven by justice. Someone who tried to do the right thing simply because it was what they thought they had to do. Noble, reckless, caring... a knight through and through. And yet the maid thought to tell Elsa he would be there on the field practicing. Aqua could only assume that meant Aqua spent a lot of time watching the knights or rather this particular knight. Loyal men like Zack. She guiltily thought of his offer to whisk her away if only she asked. He would upend his life for hers because she had helped him ages ago.

"What are knights in your kingdom like in general?" Aqua asked.

"They're loyal to an extreme."

"Can... we go see them?" she requested.

"Of course," Elsa said.

The two shared a smile before finishing up with their teas. Once both cups were empty, they made their way to the courtyard. Aqua was slowly learning her way around the castle. It helped to have Elsa as her guide. She had a feeling Jack would have been too helpful. She wouldn't have been able to learn if he decided each twist and turn. No. Elsa let her get lost, only assisting if asked for her help. But today, Elsa lead the way, fully determined to see this precious knight of hers. She must have missed him.

"There they are," Elsa said.

She gestured to several young men and one young woman with magic in their free hands and swords in their other. Aqua went stiff when she saw waves of magic between the sword strikes. This was the kind of magic she had feared her entire life. The type that made her stomach sink with iron dread. She wanted to run, but that wouldn't prove to anyone that she was trying to be open minded about this alliance and the future relationship she would have with Jack. She doubted her tense posture and held breath went unnoticed by Elsa.

"T-They're using magic," she breathed.

"Yes. They are. You never know if enemies fight dirty. We always have to be diligent."

Aqua spotted a mop of white hair in the crowd of soldiers. He dodged several swipes of heavy steel before leaping in to lock blades with a tall knight, before he leaped in to lock blades with a knight. The man was much taller than most of the knights. His physical presence alone was intimidating. Seeing her betrothed - much less seeing him with his soldiers training - was a shock to her system. Vanitas never trained with the men. It was 'beneath him' he said. He trailed with the elites and the generals.

"Is... that Jackson?" Aqua asked Elsa.

Elsa looked away from the knight she had been looking at to look at his partner. She didn't seem as surprised as Aqua to see her brother there. It must have been a common occurrence to have such nonchalance seeing her brother fighting with the soldiers. Aqua wondered if she would ever get used to the magic or the fighting around there, but... there was something different about the way the men fought here. It was... lighter and more excited? Like this was just another day at work. She still shivered. A chill could be felt where she stood from Jack's ice.

"Yes."

* * *

Terra chuckled when he spotted Elsa outside the corner of the courtyard. She always came to visit whenever she heard would be sparring. However, this time she had brought someone new. Terra had only met the woman once, as a guard watching over the family meal, must to her shock. It hadn't gone well. Not that Terra blamed her. She thought she was going into one scenario until the rug had been swept out from beneath her. It was unfortunate because everyone wanted the wedding to go well. This had clearly created a rift between them as Aqua had taken refuge in the library with Elsa.

She also refused to speak to Jack. So the prince was working off some stress by sparring with him. His blade locked with Jack's and they both tried to overpower one another. Jack was unaware of his guest. He fought valiantly. North saw to it that all of his children knew how to defend themselves. Even the delicate Elsa was apt at blades. They had to be able to defend themselves in case guards were away and no one was able to fight for them.

"Looks like we have an audience," Terra said, clearly amused.

His tone was soft, so it wouldn't drift over to the women watching. Jack gave a breathless huff. He hopped back, wiping the sweat off his brow with a free hand. Terra smiled. This could help him fight under pressure if he knew of his spectators. Terra was always pushing Jack and Riku harder. They would be rules one day. They needed to be stronger than most.

"Elsa again? She always watches us!"

Jack must have thought he was being sly because he used ice beneath Terra's feet. The older soldier planted his feet on the ground to keep from slipping. A quake spell was cast and easily broke up the ice. They would have to carefully toe around the broken ground and chunks of ice. But that had been a battlefield. They wouldn't always have the option to pick what the battle ground look like. They had to be prepared for anything.

"She brought a guest," he said.

"What?"

Jack looked out of the corner of his eye. He seemed to go pale when he realized his fiancé was there with his sister, watching, with what appeared to be concern on her face. Terra took advantage of Jack's distraction and knocked him back and onto his own got in a lucky struck with the practice blade. Jack winced over the jab to his chest. Terra was a skilled warrior. More often than not, he beat the royals in sparring. However, Terra had his entire day to dedicate to training. Elsa, Riku and Jack had to practice other things. They had studies, lessons and other royal duties to attend.

Jack leapt up and threw a hail of ice shards at Terra. He now had something to work to - trying to impress Aqua. Terra wasn't sure that would win Aqua's favor but he knew there would be no discouraging Jack. It was just peacock-like preening of a guy trying to impress his lady love. Terra had seen the behavior before. Some people never outgrew it.

Terra held up his sword to block but it froze the blade solid. Not letting this deter him, he proceeded to use the sword as a blunt object and struck Jack in the middle with it. The Prince doubled over as the wind was knocked from him. Terra hopped back, letting Jack regain his breath. This wouldn't impress Aqua, but Terra wasn't there to help Jack look good. He wanted Jack to survive in a fight if he needed it.

Jack hissed in pain when he was struck. It took him a moment to right himself, already feeling a deep set ache. Nothing broken, but it would bruise. Bruises were just a sign of hard work and a reminder of mistakes. They had to learn from those errors. It could save Jack's life in the future. Jack never complained when he got bruises. He and his siblings understood Terra's lessons. They knew why he was so hard on them.

"Good hit," Jack grumbled.

"Don't get distracted, lover boy."

"Practice what you preach!"

Terra blocked Jack with ease when he tried to strike him with a clearly obvious blow. The knight just laughed at the Prince's feeble attempts, already knowing practice was shot because of their special guests. Maybe with time Jack wouldn't feel the need to show off. Hopefully, Aqua would come to more practices. They could coax her out of her shell. Warm her up to the court and the people in it. They needed all the good will they could get to earn her trust back.

"Elsa watches us every day," Terra said, "You're the one who has your girl watching for the first time."

"She's not my girl. At least... you know…"

Jack wasn't sure what was going on with him and Aqua. Things had been going so smoothly up until Zack revealed Jack's identity. Terra knew her uncertainty was impacting Jack's day to day life. He was questioning his every move, every action, every decision. He needed to regain his footing and his confidences. He would calm down eventually. But for now, he was suffering and would continue to struggle until he sorted himself.

"You're engaged! You two need to talk about it."

"You make it sound easy!"

Jack narrowly dodged a swing and was grazed by a second. Only Terra was allowed to be this open with the royal family. Very few select knights could openly question them. They would occasionally work with the nobles but only select families were close. Terra was honored by his position in the royal guard. He had worked hard to get where he was, both for his sake and for his family.

"You're the one that negotiated the alliance." Terra said, this time his practice sword struck Jack's shoulder. "So you can sit there and do nothing or you can make the most of the new life you'll have."

"You missed a big part," Jack said, parrying a strike, wincing slightly at the effort, "I met her as a messenger. Now she knows the truth and won't even talk to me."

Terra blocked Jack's next attack. The more they spoke the less they relied on their magic, going in for nitty gritty sword fight to sword combat. Though with the wooden swords, nothing would be fatal. They never really used swords unless they wore proper armor. No one would risk killing a Prince. Even the second born Prince. He would rule if Riku and Elsa didn't. Jack was just as important. If not more since his wedding would secure an alliance.

"You're an adult. Make her listen to you." Terra said, before casting quake to knock Jack off balance, "I think she might because she looks awful concerned right now."

Jack wobbles under the quake spell. Knowing he wouldn't last much longer, he lunges forward and strikes at Terra, but is disarmed. His practice sword goes flying. Not losing momentum, Jack created a shard of ice in his hand and held it to Terra's throat, just as Terra held his wooden blade to Jack's throat. Realizing it was a draw, Terra lowered his weapon before bowing to Jack. The Prince bowed in return. A bright smile lit up Jack's face. It had been a good match despite the distractions.

"Good match, Your Majesty."

"Good match yourself!" Jack beams and salutes Terra.

Terra grins. "I still have more wins than you."

* * *

"Hmph."

Terra threw his head back and laughed. Elsa took that as her cue to hurry over to them. Aqua stayed back, lingering behind the others. You don't belong here, the voice in the back of her head whispered. She doubted she ever would. She folded her arms across her chest, lingering back as Elsa hurried to Terra and Jack. She felt her lips purse tightly. She stood at the side, hypnotized and stuck where she was. However, no magic kept her there. She was just stuck where she was.

"Good match. You're getting better, Jack," Elsa said.

Elsa dabbed a rag in water. She offered it to Terra. He nodded his thanks and ran the rag across the back of his neck. The young Princess seemed quite pleased to have offered Terra any sort of comfort. The giddy flush of someone trying to gain his attention. What Elsa didn't realize was that she had it. Terra looked to her so fondly Aqua's breath caught. Had her father ever looked to her mother like that? Would Jack ever look at her like that? Aqua bit her lip when Jack came into her line of sight. She didn't know what to say to him. After so long of avoiding him, she lost all words. He hadn't turned to face her. Or even acknowledge that she had been there. She wondered if she should leave.

"Any improvements?" Jack asked.

"Well watch your footing. You get so fixated on your opponent you don't know what's around you?"

"Pretty sure it was the other way around," Terra muttered.

Aqua watched as Elsa gave him a playful swat. It earned a fond smile back at her. They were so sweet together. She had never seen anyone so in love with anyone in her life. Watching the loving couple was a pain and reminder that she could never have it. She bit her lip, turning to go, finally deciding she had been intruding long enough.

"So…" Terra cleared his throat, "Anyone going to introduce me to our guest?"

Aqua quickly looked away, embarrassed for having been caught on their private moment. Even Jack seemed uncomfortable, a clear sign she shouldn't even have come. She winced for having been caught. She vowed silently to not attend another sparring practice. She couldn't avoid Jack forever but it made her hurt less. Talking to him, much less speaking to him brought up too many emotions to deal with easily. Jack took it with grace as he gestured to Aqua.

"This is Princess Aquamarine," Jack intoned.

Elsa looked half exasperated with the way that they had gone one step forward and a giant leap back in progress. Aqua squirmed in her spot. She knew she had disappointed Elsa. She hated the feeling of letting down her only friend in the new kingdom. But was guilt really going to push her into trying to make amends with Jack? Perhaps it would play some factor...

"From Verona right? Is this your first time seeing magic?" Terra asked.

Aqua spared a look to Jack, recalling the features of magic he had done on their trip in. The carriage. The snow horses. Even the ice rose that she still hadn't managed to bring herself to shatter. She had only seen magic that did good. Was that intentional on Jack's part? Come to think of it, they hadn't even been attacked on the road. Jack and his men hadn't had to fight. Hadn't had to show her how violent magic could be. And for a while, she had almost forgotten, if it weren't for the knee jerk reaction of fear.

"My first time seeing offensive magic," she said softly.

"Oh… Right… Combat magic is a little different," Jack replied.

Terra seemed to notice the tension Aqua had. The knight gave her a considering look, as if trying to gauge her. Aqua wrapped her arms around herself and looked away. Now she truly regretted not slipping away sooner. Nothing came to mind for her to say to make a quick escape. Elsa would call her out on anything that was a blatant lie. Besides, she honestly had nothing to do. No duties. No tasks. No meetings. Just exist in the palace.

"It has practical applications too… See this cut?"

Terra gestured to a faint thin cut on the side of his arm, probably from the ice shards being flung around like party favors. He placed his hand over it and a green glow appeared before fading. When he removed his hand, the cut was gone. It took every ounce of control Aqua had not to seize the man's arm and examine the formerly injured flesh. It was as if the wound never happened.

"How did you do that?" Aqua gasped.

"Magic does have more use than sheer combat strength. We can have practical applications for what we do." Terra explained. "But magic is more than just a weapon."


	12. Fresh Start

Jack wanted this marriage to go well. Aqua was a sweet woman. Kind. Good. That in itself was a relief. She could have been like her father. Instead, she was open minded (if a little hesitant and cautious). Perhaps that was the former Queen's influence shining through? Or the hands off child rearing by the King? The later seemed more likely. The King of Verona didn't seem like a very doting father if he was also warping what he told his people about the war. Then there was also the fact his bride believed her opinions didn't matter. She was raised not to question the King, even when the man demeaned her and made her doubt her self worth. Jack sighed, taking a deep breath.

How did he coax out his wife-to-be? She completely withdrawn from not just him but the servants as well. She spoke to no one - save Elsa. She took her meals in her room. She only left to spend time in the library. Elsa had been the one to coax her to the training grounds. Even then, shortly after they began talking, Aqua made a quick escape, fleeing to the safety of her rooms and not coming out for a few more days after that.

The only good sign was Aqua's newfound friendship with Elsa. At least that meant she wasn't alone. Elsa had made Aqua comfortable enough to dare to venture to the sparring grounds, which was a huge step in a good way. Despite the swift exit Aqua had made. It was perhaps the magic that had scared her. He would be lying if he said he wasn't jealous of his sister. He wanted to know his bride. Riku insisted the only way he would be getting over this was by talking to her. Trying to see her side as well as her seeing his.

With a heavy sigh, he headed to her room. If he was lucky, he would catch her before she spirited away to the library. Most times, he wasn't lucky. Or if Aqua had been in the room, she had ignored the knocking. He didn't want to push her, but he was desperately curious about the woman he was going to spend the rest of his life with. Just as he reached out knock on the door, the frame moved away from his hand. Both he and Aqua jolted in surprise upon seeing one another.

"Prince Jackson… What are you doing here?"

"I… I wanted to know if you'd like to go out?" he inquired before hastily adding, "To see the village?"

She surveyed him with passive eyes, as if he were a piece of distasteful lawn sculpture in her path. Jack shifted in his spot. To repair what had been broken, he had to reach out to her, show her he wasn't as bad as she thought and do what he could to repair what trust she did have in him prior to his deception. Reaching back was up to her. At least he would be doing his part. This avoidance was starting to wear on him after all. He would admit to being the first to break. They could spend their marriage loathing each other or they could try to get along.

"I was going to meet Elsa."

"Oh… Uh… Maybe some other time then?"

She looked like she was going to say no, perhaps even smack him across the face for it. Not that Jack blamed her. He had never wanted someone to like him so much before in his life. He had never had a problem with anyone liking him before. His siblings had declared him quite charming and charismatic. He always took pride in being able to make the most standoffish of guests feel comfortable in their kingdom when they were visiting. Their ambassadors and visiting guests always left on good terms.

"Okay…"

"Really?"

Aqua nodded. She didn't seem as overjoyed as Jack felt, but he would take small victories where he could. In fact, it took a great amount of sheer willpower not to leap up into the air and croon in victory. He took a deep breath, struggling to maintain this facade of calm. He didn't want her thinking he was some overly excitable dolt or that he counted this as completely earning her trust back. He had a long way before she came to him with anything, even something as minor as getting her tea water. Which from what Elsa had been telling him, more rather gloating, she took regularly with his sister.

"I should get to know the people if I'm going to be living here."

"That's great! I was thinking we could go to the bakery and then the tailor if you want new dresses."

Aqua barely reacted. Perhaps just a lone brow being raised. Ah, so much for not being too ambitious. He felt a lump in his chest and he took a deep breath, hoping he hadn't stuck his foot in his mouth once again. Coaxing Aqua out was as difficult as coaxing out a deer without the use of animal magic to influence his sway. He couldn't count on magic to win her over. If anything, it frightened her more, but at least she hadn't fled the castle in hysterics and calling them all monsters.

"R-Right… You're meeting Elsa…" he said, wincing over his own word vomit. "May I walk you there?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Of course you do!" Jack snapped.

He couldn't help the way her tone raised his hackles. He was trying! Her apathy made it difficult. It wasn't necessarily her fault. She was putting on the same airs he was afraid she would have if he walked into her palace and just announced himself as Prince of Guardia. It was to protect herself from nobles. He wore the same mask around certain nobles who visited his lands. Some of them were real snakes in the grass who would sooner stab you in the back than smile and ask how your siblings were doing. However, this seemed to snap her out of her stupor because shock registered on her face.

"I want you to be happy here so if you need space, tell me," he pled with her, "I'll leave you be. If you want to talk, I'll be here. But you have to tell me what I can do for you!"

She openly gaped at Jack, like a fish out of water. He paled, wondering if he pushed too hard or too quickly. He wasn't patient at the best of times. The two of them were silent and each second ate away something in his chest, making him feel hollow and anxious. He didn't know how to tread with her. That was perhaps the most frustrating. But unnoticed to him, her expression fought. She seemed to struggle to come to terms with what he said before finally coming to a decision.

"Would… would you mind showing me the way to the parlor? Elsa and I were meeting for tea."

Jack felt relief seep into his veins. Aqua likely knew the way but was accepting his offer to walk together. He couldn't resist the smile that pulled at his lips. He held out his arm for hers. She didn't immediately place her hand on his arm but she came around to it eventually. It was perhaps the closest they had been since she had entered the castle. And she wasn't fleeing at the mere sight of him. Then they walked down the hall together, closer than they had been since he was just a measly 'messenger' to her.

"Are you settling in okay? Is there anything I can get you?" Jack asked.

"I'm fine. Thank you."

Jack frowned. Her tone… It was so subdued. She was playing a part for him. Being the bride she thought he wanted. Elsa said she hadn't cracked one real smile since coming to Guardia. What Aqua needed was a little fun. She needed a reason to smile and something to show her that despite the circumstances she was safe. Her feelings mattered. She was valid. So he began plotting, but they were walking in silence. This was the first time he had her alone and before he could stop himself, apologies began to tumble past his lips.

"I uh… wanted to apologize… about what I did. It doesn't change anything but I-"

"Why didn't you tell me?" she cut him off.

The look on her face. He couldn't describe it. Couldn't put it to words. She stared at him, trying for blank and passionless but she truly looked devastated, a whirlwind of emotions flitting through her eyes. Her eyes were so expressive. They showed everything her face did not. He would later realize there was a minor tremble to her hands as she gripped his arm. He didn't know his best course of action. Or the answer she was looking for. But he had to do something. Even if another bout of world dribble slipped past him, he had to tell her somehow, or let her know his reasoning for it, even if it hadn't been very good.

"I like you," Jack said. "You as you. Not you as Princess Aquamarine. When you let your walls down…"

He sighed. When they had been traveling, things had been so much easier. She immediately went to him if she had questions or concerns. She had been wary around his men, but trusted him - Jack the Messenger - with her safety and her confidence. She hadn't in any roundabout way spoken of her feelings, but it gave him the beginnings of a concept of how she reacted and how she viewed things. Now he felt his deceit was probably the greatest injustice he could do her. Their families had been enemies after all. To find out he had yanked the rug beneath her feet and outright lied about who he was must have been terrifying.

"But… people have a tendency to only look at my crown, my title and my wealth. They don't get to know me."

He thought back to the shy smiles and laughs they shared as they had traveled together. She had been opening up. Like coaxing a flower to bloom only to have it wither up. He knew what happened to withered flowers and didn't want the same to befall her. Being Prince was part of who he was. Just as being the Princess was apart of her. They could no more change their blood than shake off those titles. Not that Jack had any intention of fleeing his home. However, Aqua gave up everything for this marriage.

"And I wanted to know what kind of person you were. It was easier to do that by seeing how you treated people 'inferior' to you."

"I understand… I don't like it, but I understand."

"I _am_ sorry."

The corner of Aqua's lips twitched in a ghost of a smile. It was close enough to garner a surprised gasp from Jack. This was perhaps the first smile he had seen from her since his revelation. If he hadn't been celebrating before for getting her to agree to visit the village with him at a later date, he would have been now. Riku was right. All he had to do was try to set things straight and earn her trust back the old fashioned way.

"I know. And I probably overreacted. I just… I would have done the same thing."

"You would have?"

"We _are_ strangers," she reminded him. "I'm an _enemy_."

Their countries had fought tirelessly for as long as Jack could remember. Before even his birth. Two and a half decades of fighting was hard to forget. Even harder to overcome in less than a fortnight. He had feared Aqua to be a cruel and spiteful woman. Couldn't she have feared the same about him? Instead, he was the one who created the jagged edges of their relationship and up to him to mend those edges.

"But no more lies, Jack," Aqua said. "Just honesty."

This… was Aqua really forgiving him? Perhaps not forgiving, but it was certainly a start. He wasn't about to squander a do-over with his would-be bride. He took this second chance to heart and he looked at her with as much sincerity as he could pour into one gaze. He wanted to convey to her what this meant to him to have her giving him this chance to make it up. If he mucked things up again, there would be no repairing things. They would have a chilly marriage and probably spend their days plotting to kill one another.

"You have my word," Jack promised

"That's all I ask."

Jack smiled. He could almost burst with his relief. But he would have to tread carefully. She needed to be eased into this. Luckily, North had given them a few months before the wedding itself. But they were going to putting her into classes about Guardia, its culture and its people. Her time would start to get drawn away from him. He had to make the most of her free time but at the same time, not be overly clingy to the point she would pull away from him. What a fine line to walk.

"Thank you." he said.

"I'd… rather be on good terms since we're going to be married," she said softly.

"What? And here I thought we could live in luxurious despair," Jack remarked. "Until the day you would leave me for my sister."

His sarcasm had practically been dripping off every word. It served its purpose. He might have been overly dramatic. Not only that, his clear jealous of the time Aqua was spending with Elsa was now apparent to his bride, however, Aqua made a sound that would have been labeled as a snort in ladies of commoner birth. Jack's grin was unrepentant. So she _did_ have a sense of humor. That was a good sign.

"I think we can live without the despair." she replied. "And Elsa's not my type."

"I'll have to replan everything now."

"Oh you poor thing," she said not sympathetic in the slightest.

"You'll have to make it up to me," he declared, "By playing a game."

Now she eyed him warily, her good humor gone in an instant. Jack took a deep breath. He would have to push on, now that he had mentioned it. But he often treated serious matters as games to help him get through whatever ordeals he would have to get through. Perhaps, by making things fun for Aqua, she too would be able to strive through his attempts to get to know her better. It was easier when you decided things weren't supposed to be all that serious. It was, after all, his coping mechanism.

"What sort of game?"

"I will give you five unfiltered truths and you give me five in return. To be cashed in whenever we feel like," he declared.

"And rule breaking?" she inquired.

Jack pondered. It seemed she was willing enough to play along. But he couldn't make any grand declarations. He kept pushing his luck with her, far more than he should in one day, especially since he just got her onto speaking terms. But something about the apathy she showed and the way she had closed off irked him so much he couldn't help but try to annoy her. Just to get some sort of reaction from her. To prove to himself she hadn't killed off all of her emotions even though her father had tried to encourage that.

"Rule breaking results in the rule breaker giving up one more truth."

He gave her a sidelong glance as she mulled over his proposition. They would get to know each other better. But Jack wanted to know personal things. He wanted Aqua to confide in him. The game would make them vulnerable. They would open themselves up to possible old hurts or new ones. It would only be fair if he offered her the same rules for himself. He had to make the playing field as equal as possible.

"We can play your game, Jackson."

Jackson. He cringed. He hated his full name. It was so stiff and formal. Only the eldest of nobles called him that (mostly being his father's friends and the ones who loved to remind him that they watched him grow up from his father's side). The look in Aqua's eyes seemed to tip him off that she was aware of his discomfort. He wasn't fully forgiven yet. That was okay. He deserved that.

Two could play that game. You could catch more flies with honey than with vinegar after all. He would make it so she couldn't ignore him anymore. By practically smothering her with kindness if he had to. Gifts and gems and jewels wouldn't do it. But kindness and a fair bit of charm, he decided. He would put his entire heart into making her fall for him. If he was lucky, he would fall for her too. But their match was met and they would get married, love or no. He stopped in front of the parlor, knowing full well his sister was inside. He took Aqua by the hand before smirking at her.

"I look forward to our game." he said.

He placed a kiss to her knuckles. The reaction was instantaneous and delightful. A blush spread across her cheeks before she could hide it and she had gone stiff. Clearly, no one had ever tried to court her properly. A small part of him purred happily, because that would make his task of earning her heart easier, but another wanted to roar in outrage. Aqua was an amazing woman. She should have had suitors clamoring over themselves to try to win her favor. But upon her shy and startled look, he had to bite back his laugh. Her lack of suitors was in his favor. He wouldn't have to fight anyone or share.

"Until tomorrow," he reminded her.

Without further ado, he turned on his heel and walked away, feeling quite victorious.


	13. Realizations and Wardrobes

Aqua headed into the parlor in an absolute daze. She barely registered Elsa pouring her a cup of tea until the warm porcelain pressed into her hand. The Princess of Verona looked at the cup, startled. It was a green tea, light and wafting the scent of Jasmine up towards her. A new favorite of hers thanks to Elsa's introduction. With two lumps of and the lightest of drops of cream. The way that Elsa knew she liked it. She had servants who had worked under her in her father's court that still hadn't realized that about her, yet Elsa always took it into consideration.

"Are you okay?"

"I…" she took a deep breath to recollect herself, "Yes. I'll be fine."

Aqua never expected to rely on the Princess of Guardia as a friend. But that's exactly what Elsa became. Perhaps someday she could see Jack the same way. She supposed that it wasn't entirely out of the question. She could eventually one day be friends with her future husband. Love was a bit too much to ask at the moment. It wasn't even entirely possible for her to ever love Jack. She was a Princess after all. She had to do what was best for her people, but not for herself. Her happiness came second.

"I ran into Jackson on my way here."

"Jackson… I bet he hates that," Elsa laughed. "Serves him right."

Aqua nodded. She recalled how Jack had flinched. She was still irked enough with him to use it. She didn't know how long she would keep up that little petty act. Using his full name was the only power she had over him. Letting it go would not be an easy act. Maybe she would even save it for when she was cross with him later in their marriage. Though, she wasn't sure how she felt with him shortening her name to just 'Aqua' instead of her full name. It made her feel strange.

"So you ran into Jack," Elsa commented. " Then what happened?"

"We… talked about him lying," Aqua said. "He promised not to in the future."

Elsa sniffed, as if she weren't impressed, as if she expected him to do better than just apologize. Aqua didn't want Jack trying to shower her in gifts or trying to do extravagant feats for her. Her father used to do the same, minus the apologies. The words did seem more sincere than the act of just buying her things. Jack barely knew about her, so he couldn't just purchase her things. Aqua silently thanked whatever higher powers there were that they were at least on speaking terms now. She hadn't any idea how to approach Jack, but Jack certainly had. She was thankful he made the first move.

But now, she was confused. She didn't know how to go about properly courting anyone. No one had ever shown an interest in her besides the fact that she was her father's daughter. That if they married her, they would be one step closer to the throne. Accidents could be arranged for Vanitas and then they would have an entire kingdom and all the power that came with it. Now, with that out of the picture, the only thing in terms of power she had was the fact that if anything happened to her, war would be renewed again. She had no Kingdom, no power, no dowry, nothing to make her worth marrying and yet Jack was marrying her.

"Good. I'd hate to have to pretend he doesn't exist."

"As if he'd let you," Aqua said dryly.

She had been trying to pretend Jack didn't exist and that had only gotten her so far. If anything it made Jack come to her to try to solve the issue. Her nerves had gotten the better of her. She would have kept avoiding him until their very wedding day. It would have made for a very awkward wedding night if she still hated him. Her stomach twisted at the thought of their future wedding. She quickly pushed aside any concerns about the wedding. They weren't there yet and wouldn't have to worry about that.

"Little brothers," Elsa shrugged, as if it explained everything.

One more thing Aqua and Elsa had in common - they both had little brothers. But Elsa's relationship was different with Aqua's. Elsa's brothers were loving, doting even, the kindest of brothers that you could ever ask for. Vanitas would never ever do half the things that Riku or Jack did for Elsa. Aqua had been watching. It wasn't until she had something to compare to that she realized that the relationship she had with Vanitas wasn't really a relationship at all. They were barely even acquaintances. But that was how her father wanted them to be. King North had spread love between his children.

"Knowing Jack, he did more than apologize."

That instantly set Aqua's face on fire as she remembered the warmth of his hand against hers and the feel of his lips against her knuckles. Elsa stared dumbfounded for a moment. Aqua wasn't used to talking to another woman about boys. She wasn't used to a lot of things. More often than not, things in Guardia were not what Aqua expected. She was treading water as she tried to figure out her place in this new world.

"What did he do?" Elsa demanded, equal parts worried and equal parts mystified.

"He… kissed my hand…"

Elsa blinked in surprise before giggling. Aqua quickly looked away in embarrassment. How she wished the ground would swallow her up. She knew she was overreacting to the kiss. It was such a minor thing. He was trying to soften her disposition towards him. Make her forget how he had angered her so much with his lies. Smooth the whole thing over so that she would forget and be a complacent wife. It was what her father expected of her. What he had taught her to do. But something about being alone in the kingdom with no one else on her side had brought fight to the Princess of Verona. She would not forget what he had done.

"Jack means well," Elsa said.

"It caught me by surprise! That's all!"

"He is going to marry you someday."

Her stomach churned. She knew that she was going to have to marry Jack someday. At first all she felt towards him was anger for what he had done. Now she was uncertain what to feel towards him. He honestly appeared to be sorry for what he had done. She couldn't be angry with him anymore. She could bluster and harrump as much as she wanted. Her hands on her tea cup gripped a bit tighter.

"Yes… someday." Aqua murmured.

Elsa frowned when she noticed Aqua's less than enthusiastic answer. The blonde woman set her tea cup down before leaning forward in her seat. Concern lined her features and Aqua cringed. She hated making Elsa worry, especially since Elsa didn't need to worry or fuss over her. Aqua had never had anyone worry about her before. She had always looked after herself. Not even her servants in the old palace had been allowed to be close to her but that was her father's doing.

"Do you regret agreeing?"

Aqua shook her head. Their union would stop such a fierce war. Despite how she had acted, she had never truly been mistreated minus the lie. The lies of which Jack had apologized for. She swallows thickly. She had no reason to believe Jack would otherwise go back on his word because of her treatment. He even said he would let her be if she asked it of him.

"Listen, Aqua, I know that an arranged marriage isn't ideal, but… We really do want to see you happy," Elsa said.

"W-What?"

"Is that really so hard to believe?"

She opened her mouth to answer but then closed it, swallowing her response. It wasn't entirely out of reason. They could have made her utterly miserable. She could have been in a dungeon or forced into the marriage immediately and expected to have an heir within the month. Instead, they saw to her comforts, letting her stew out her anger, kind and comforting the entire time. Elsa had been quiet and gently coaxing Aqua to get out of her shell. They had never been cruel. Never once did anyone raise a hand to strike her. Voices had never been raised.

Aqua looked down feeling quite guilty that she had even let that thought crossed her mind. They had been so good to her. She had been most ungrateful. A spoiled little brat, throwing her tantrum. Her heart twisted in her chest. She had been a fool not to see it. They were so nice to her without wanting a single thing from her.

* * *

Aqua had been preparing to go to town with Jack, when Elsa stepped in. However, the woman took one step in, then at the open wardrobe that Aqua had and froze. All of the dresses Aqua's father had sent were… not in Aqua's tastes. They were large voluptuous things that made her look like a marshmallow in lace. She had been digging through her wardrobe to find something that didn't scream that she was royalty. It didn't seem like a good idea to flaunt wealth in front of townspeople. Besides, she wanted to blend in for once, not stand out even more.

"What is _that_?" Elsa demanded, horrified.

"Uh... my dresses?"

"No. That's a crime. That's what that is!"

Elsa cautiously stepped closer to the pile of clothing on Aqua's bed, as if she thought the garish dresses were a snake that was going to leap out and bite her. She wrinkled her nose in clear disgust over the fabrics. Aqua didn't like the giant ball gowns either but seeing Elsa's clear disapproval made her wither a little. She couldn't change the outfits. Just… endure them. She gave the large piles of tulle, chiffon and organza. The layers upon layers of fabric that were very much a show of wealth than comfort.

"I'm just trying to find something I can wear to go to town in," Aqua mumbled softly.

Elsa looked at the mound of clothing in horror when she realized Aqua intended to wear one of them. She stepped between Aqua and the pile of dresses, as if trying to shield Aqua from a horrifically gruesome scene. It wasn't entirely out of the ordinary because one of those green dresses - something akin to pea soup - did assault the eyes in the questionable color selection. As it turned out, few of her selected dresses made it with her on the journey. She supposed her father had gone through her things and hadn't liked the gowns and dresses she had selected for herself.

"You are not going out in one of those."

"I don't have anything else," Aqua protested.

Aqua moved to go back to the wardrobe but she found that it had been entirely encased in ice. She shivered, turning to face Elsa. When she exhaled, she could see her breath. The fear that Aqua expected didn't come as quickly. Perhaps this was because it was Elsa who had been using magic around her since the moment they met. For small, menial things like cooling off their sitting room when things got too hot with a sheepish smile or chilling the piping hot tea to a more manageable drinking temperature with a wink.

Now, standing in front of her frozen wardrobe, she realized just how powerful the woman was. Aqua hadn't even seen her hands move or for the woman to gesture. It was just unfrozen one moment and solid ice the next. How could she be afraid? This was Elsa who had become her one and only friend in this new kingdom.

"No. You're not going out wearing one of those… things."

"Elsa! Those are my only clothes! What am I supposed to wear now?"

"You can come with me to the palace tailors."

Aqua looked away uncomfortably. She felt like it would be asking too much if she just came in demanding new clothes and fineries. She understood that she was marrying Jack but she had to provide something for herself. It wasn't like there was a dowry being paid - just a standstill on fighting. She had no money, no other clothes, no other means of providing for herself. Another reminder just how helpless and dependent on her new in-laws-to-be she was. She also knew that someday she would have to take on the Guardia way of dress. She just hadn't expected so soon.

"Aqua, sweetie, you're going to be living here! What were you going to do when your dresses wore out?"

"I… have coin."

Elsa rolled her eyes. Clearly, this was an argument that Aqua wasn't going to win any time soon. The Guardia Princess took her fashion seriously. Aqua's wardrobe had been a crime in her eyes. To be fair, Aqua hadn't exactly been in love with the clothes. But still, it was a waste. Someone in her kingdom had worked very hard on those dresses, even if they hadn't been flattering for her. Aqua let out a slow breath before she nodded. Looking more cheered, Elsa took her by the wrist and led her out of the room.

"I'll have someone come up to take care of your room."

Elsa led her away before she could protest. She watched the back of Elsa's head as they walked. She was letting Elsa through her guard, past her defenses. Aqua felt her eyes prickling. Her chest ached. Truly, no one had ever cared so much or done so much for her and asked so little in return. Elsa stopped outside a room that Aqua had never been to before. She tensed when she saw the rivulets of tears rolling down her cheeks.

"What's wrong?"

Aqua gave a watery sniff and hastily dried her eyes on a kerchief that had been mercifully spared by the frost. Friends. For the first time in her life, Aqua had friends and people who cared about her happiness. They were just good and kind to her for the sake of it. She had to make amends somehow, prove to them that they weren't doing all of this and it wasn't appreciated. But she didn't know how. She supposed the best way was to get to know them without judgment.

"I'm just so happy…"

"They're just dresses." Elsa said in confusion.

Aqua just laughed. It wasn't that. But she didn't think she could put her feelings into words. Elsa might not understand if she tried to explain it anyways. The raw overwhelming feeling of knowing she had a friend in her corner, someone she could count on when she needed it most. She would have to strive to be better because they were. And with a smile, she decided that wasn't so bad after all. Maybe, just maybe, she could learn to love Guardia and love her new family. She didn't think it would be that hard.

"You're right. So… can you help me find a new wardrobe?"

"Of course."


	14. Escort Into Town

She wasn't sure what she expected when they went into town. She supposed it should have been no different than the village outside of Verona castle. A baker in Verona had the same worries as a baker in Guardia. A fisherman in Guardia needed to sell fish the same as a fisher in Verona. The village had all the same hustle and bustle of home. In a way, it was comforting to see that despite the change in location, some things remained the same. However, things were different. If her father let her to the village it was with her an armed guard squad of at least six guards minimum. Jack, however, had other plans.

Elsa had sent a simple yet elegant dress for her to wear into town. A Guardia style periwinkle blue cotton dress, embroidered down the front with a burst of colorful flowers with dragonflies in between and black slippers. She could imagine how proud Elsa was of the garment. It had even fit like a glove. Complain about dresses and gifts as she might, but this was as fine as silk and a true labor of love.

She saw Jack with someone waiting for her at the entrance of the castle. She slowly descended the stairs. Her heart was pounding uncomfortably in her chest. Why couldn't she continue to hide away in the library? Or sitting in the gardens? She pushed her anxieties behind and walked over to Jack and his guard. The man's back was turned to her so she couldn't see his face directly, though he had a funny way about himself. Like he was standing hunched. His cloak around his shoulder kept him from view.

"Aqua, this is Bunny. He'll be our escort today."

A yelp nearly escaped her when the man turned around. This was a test. It had to be because their guard was a giant rabbit. He was tall, at least eight feet tall with silver grey fur and a white tuft. There were black swirls up and down his fur, making almost tribal designs. His armor was made of leather, and he had a strange weapon that she had never seen the likes of before along with two daggers in either side of his belt. She cast Jack a nervous look when she saw the rabbit had weapons on him. But Jack apparently missed the look or was pointedly ignoring it.

"The name is E. Aster Bunnymund at yer service, Your Majesty."

He bowed politely to her. It took Aqua a moment, but she managed a slightly fumbling curtsy in return. At least she could hide behind manners while she tried to recollect herself. Never before had she seen a rabbit person or even an inhuman being walking or talking. She knew there were strange and unusual things in Guardia, but strange people had never been discussed. Granted, her father often controlled what people knew and when. It was not out of the question that he hid the existence of an entire race.

"Hey! You're never this nice to me!" Jack whined.

"That's cuz yer a bloody nuisance!"

"Aw, you're so mean Rabbit!"

Between their banter, she had time to recollect her frayed nerves. Whatever she had been expected, it was not this. She took a deep breath and buried her anxiousness deep inside. Aqua watched them with an impassive expression on her face. She would observe, she told herself and then figure out how she should act. For now, she would be cordial with the rabbit man. He was after all, to be their escort off castle grounds. She hadn't left the palace so the change in pace would be amazing.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Aqua said.

"See! At least somebody has manners!" 'Bunny' said, gesturing to her.

"I have manners!"

"Don't make me laugh, mate!"

Aqua gave a tight smile. Clearly they knew each other well enough to drop decorum around one another. A pang of loneliness struck her. She didn't have anyone like that in her life. Not in Verona but in Guardia, her walls were keeping people out. She supposed she had Elsa, but Aqua herself didn't feel comfortable to banter the way the people of Guardia did. It was just showing her what she didn't think she could have. But that was nothing new. She couldn't have friends back when she was in Verona. There was no telling who was in her father's pocket and willing to report back everything she said to him. It was hard to know who to trust.

"Jack, shouldn't we get going?"

It took a lot not to call him Jackson but she had to let go of her anger. Letting it fester hadn't gotten her anywhere. She would be lying if she said her heart didn't clench when his face broke out into a brilliant smile. As if the one word had so much power over him. A little puppy eagerly seeking praise. She had to resist the urge to smile. He wasn't completely out of the dog house yet. He had to earn her trust back.

"Yeah! Let's go!"

He offered her his hand, still smiling broadly. Acceptance meant moving forward. Placing her hand in his didn't feel wrong. Then she was walking side by side through the gate with him with Bunny trailing behind them. No one even tried to stop her from leaving. Perhaps it was because she was with Jack and a guard who would keep her from running away. But really, where would she go if she ran? She had nowhere left. She had Guardia and that was it. Her father wouldn't take her back if anything wrong were to happen.

As she walked out through the gate, a guard waved at her. At first, she was confused but then she realized it was Zack Fair. She felt a tension she didn't know she had melt and she waved back. In a way, it was nice to have someone she knew at the guard post. Jack watched her as she waved back to him. Their pace quickened, as if Jack wanted to get her far away from the guard house as possible, as if the guards might prevent her from going out and about after all. She looked to Jack in concern. This was okay, right? She wasn't trapped in the castle like some sort of prisoner, was she?

"Do.. you like him?"

There was a hint of an edge in Jack's voice. Aqua turned back to look at him and realized that the Prince was worried that she had feelings for Zack. Jack was jealous of the soldier. She stared at him almost owlishly in surprised because she hadn't expected that from him. Especially since they hadn't particularly developed any relationship except for the mistrust on her part. She had to make amends, prove to Jack she was willing to give them a chance once and for all.

"He's a good man. He rescued his wife from..."

She trailed off. Perhaps that was personal information but she also didn't think it was a good idea to discuss her father openly. He wasn't likely a topic of good favor here. She hoped that mentioning Zack had a wife would make Jack a little less jealous. Because Aqua was not the type to lead a man to cheat on his spouse. It did make Jack look a little less concerned. Maybe this was a sign that he was a jealous type. Aqua would have to be aware of those sorts of behaviors if they were going to wed. She didn't want to end up like other monarch wives who ended up with their head on a pike because her husband thought she strayed from their bed.

"From yer father." Bunny supplied.

"Yes…" she said quietly.

"And ya helped 'im."

Aqua looked at the guard in surprise and then to Zack's distant figure. He had told others that she had helped him? Still, the fact that everyone thought her father was some sort of monster here, didn't sit well with her. What did they think of her? Without even being there he had already made enemies for her. She could feel the tension rising from inside the guard and wanted to shy away from him. She didn't have anything to do with the decisions her father made during the war. _But you didn't stop him either_ , a small voice whispered in the back of her mind.

"I did…" she said softly.

"So ye-"

"Bunny," Jack said, suddenly stern, "Enough."

Aqua turned to the Prince in surprise. She could see a hardness in his eyes, a firm sort of no nonsense attitude that had taken over. He knew how to be serious after all. It shouldn't have come as a surprise to her. She probably had the look of a lost puppy on her face because Jack's grip on her arm tightened, as if to reassure her. Only her pride prevented her from seeking comfort in the touch. She remained as impassive as ever, just regarding the rabbit man. Would he attack her? What had her father done to wrong him?

She didn't want to know. War was not kind. He probably lost someone important to him in the fighting. If that were the case, then she was sorry for him. She had seen what grief did to those around her but had never actually experienced it herself until now. But this was not a comparable sort of sorrow. No one she cared had been hurt or worse. Her father kept her far away from any war room planning. At first she thought it was to protect her, but now, she was starting to see this wasn't a kindness. He had intentionally kept her in the dark.

"Aqua has made it clear that she wants to end the war as much as I do," Jack continued. "So don't do this."

Bunny regarded the prince before he harrumphed and fell back into step behind them. Jack had that much control over the situation. With one, disarming the tension that had crept over Aqua like a poisonous fog. She had been afraid that he would lash out, seeking retribution for the crimes of war. She would be sticking next to Jack on the duration of her trip. She didn't want to ruffle anyone else's fur while she was enjoying her first bit of freedom outside of the palace.

"Forgive me," Bunny said slowly. "The War isn't an easy topic for me."

"I don't believe it is for anyone," Aqua agreed, "You don't have to apologize."

The rabbit's ears twitched, as did his nose. She offered him the best smile she could muster. He seemed to relax when he saw she wasn't upset. Did he think her some easily offended prima donna? There were nobles like that in her father's kingdom. Insufferable creatures that irked Aqua so much she couldn't spend time with them. Perhaps he had dealt with those sort of fair weather friends before. But he seemed like a genuinely nice person. She didn't want to upset him so her smile became a little more relaxed. Everyone was just on edge. A good outing away from the castle was just what they needed.

"What is the village like? I've only ever gone with an armed escort… Is it safe to only go with the three of us?" she asked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Yer jokin' right?" Bunny responded.

"No I mean it, father said that the villagers would hurt us if we didn't."

"We don't need Bunny for protection," Jack said. "Dad thought… Well, he figured we should have an escort on our outing… Because he didn't want us getting up to 'mischief' alone."

Jack suddenly looked sheepish. Both Aqua and Bunny gave him a curious (though on Bunny's part it was suspicious) look. Aqua suddenly blushed. There was only one sort of 'mischief' a courting couple could get up to when alone. She wasn't quite ready for anything like that. Bunny was there to make sure that neither of them decided to get to know each other in a very intimate sense. Their guard suddenly looked completely amused at the very notion. He wasn't so much as a guard as he was a chaperone.

"Besides, we have a mission today," Jack said.

"A mission?" Aqua asked, raising a brow.

"Riku's been sneaking out of the castle lately. I want to find out why."


	15. Day in the Town

"So you're using me as an excuse to spy on your brother?" Aqua asked, a little offended.

Jack waved his hand dismissively. Aqua frowned and regarded him carefully. Jack promised he would be more open and honest with her. But if he was twisting things to his own gain was this honesty? Though, even she could see the concern he tried to conceal. He was worried about Riku. She couldn't imagine worrying so much over Vanitas. Even though she might not have approved, she couldn't deny him because the motive was pure. He wanted to make sure his brother was okay. That was… sweet of him.

"Two birds with one stone. You wanted to see the village and I want to know what Riku's been up to."

"He left this mornin'," Bunny supplied.

"All the more reason to find out!"

Jack began to walk and in order not to be dragged along, Aqua followed him. The village wasn't far from the castle. In an attack, the villagers would easily be able to run from the town and take refuge in the castle. Unlike in Verona. She was quiet as they walked along. It made her feel vulnerable since she wasn't in a carriage but she supposed it would help them blend in if they went without all of the pomp and grandeur. Maybe she would even pass as a regular civilian. She had always wanted to walk among the crowd like one of the regular people. This was the perfect opportunity to do so. No one in the village knew who she was.

Aqua looked out over the village. It was both like the village outside her home and not like it at the same time. There were huge crowds of people, homes that lined the streets and business flowing, but that was where the similarities ended. The homes in Guardia were made of stone, unlike the wooden houses that lined the streets outside her kingdom. There was this… aura about this town that wasn't there in Guardia. A sort of life that was bursting at the seams and struggling to be contained within the town itself. There were loud noises, laughter, singing, bartering, kids that ran through the crowds, chased by pets and scolding parents alike. This whole town was glowing in happiness.

Uncertain, Aqua found herself holding onto Jack's arm a little tighter. She didn't know what to make of the townsfolk. But Jack didn't mind. He kept one cool hand against the inside of her forearm, quiet, gentle and reassuring. She kept expecting shock, outrage, yelling and accusations being hurled at her, the way Bunny had been about to with her. Thinking that she was just like her father, just as cruel, just as blood thirsty. Jack stopped, turning to look at her. Jarring her out of her thoughts.

"Anywhere you'd like to go?" Jack asked.

"Oh… um, I supposed the tailor?" Aqua said hesitantly, "Elsa froze all of my clothes."

Jack stared openly before he barked a laugh. It drew the attention of the people passing by who smiled too when they saw who it was. Aqua normally would have squirmed under the attention but with Jack, it was different. She bit her lip to prevent a smile. She supposed it was a little funny that Elsa had been in such aghast horror over her wardrobe that she decided freezing it all was preferable to letting Aqua wear them.

"Elsa's probably already having a word with the palace tailor so they can decide and make your wardrobe."

"She… makes clothes?"

It came to her as a surprise that Elsa would do something so… unbecoming for a royal. Any Princess doing any form of work for someone was what her father would have called undignified. Then Aqua recalled Jack and Terra in the sparring ring, how Jack had posed as a messenger, how at meals, the other royals had passed her foods or drinks she had asked for. They weren't like most other nobles, she realized and immediately felt foolish for not realizing it sooner. She had just been acting as if they were ordinary nobles when they were anything but ordinary.

"She made your dress," Bunny said, "I'd recognize that embroidery anywhere!"

Her gaze drifted over the seemingly innocent dragonflies that were lovingly stitched into her dress. She hadn't thought of the time that Elsa had put into a relatively simple gown. The term 'labor of love' came to mind, but that couldn't be possible. Elsa barely knew her. Aqua knew she had done nothing to deserve such a kindness. She hadn't done anything to return the kindness that the Frost family had bestowed upon her. The guilt she felt sat ill in her stomach. They had done so much for her and she hadn't even been grateful.

"I can pick my own clothes," Aqua protested.

"Those ballgowns begged to differ," Jack replied.

Aqua felt her cheeks grow hot. She turned away from him to hide her blush. Did everyone know that the ball gowns hadn't been her idea? That she had loathed marching around in the castle with enough fabric to clothe nearly a dozen other people. Jack's smile was a shit eating one. Clearly, they knew but had said nothing, just waiting for Elsa to be unable to take the offensive fashion any longer and take matters into her own hands. Though, Aqua did feel a smile tickling the corner of her lips at the thought of people holding bets over which broke first, Aqua's resolve or Elsa's.

"How about the bakery first?" he suggested. "I didn't eat breakfast. What about you?"

"I could eat…"

Jack led her to the bakery. The sinfully delicious smell of fresh bread wafted out of the shop door. He didn't give her time to hesitate or be uncertain before he dragged her in after him. She gave the shopkeeper a tentative smile. Bunny shut the door behind them, standing guard out front rather than the three of them crowding the shop. Aqua assumed it was so that no one else came in to bother them while they were 'shopping' like normal villagers. It placed a lot of trust that the shopkeepers themselves weren't a threat.

"Ah, Your Majesty!" the woman greeted happily. "I was beginning to wonder when we would see you again!"

"Aw, you know me, Rapunzel, I'm a sucker for your cinnamon rolls."

Aqua looked between them. Jack was at such ease in the shop, clearly a regular if he knew the woman on a first name basis. The woman had surprisingly long golden hair braided so intricately that Aqua balked. There were braids within braids within a braid. She could never imagine having such long hair. And how did she possibly bake without getting it in the way. Why wouldn't she just cut it? Suddenly self conscious, she brushed a hand over her very short blue hair. It didn't have near the shine or soft looks as Rapunzel's did.

"You're in luck. We just made a fresh batch."

Jack's smile was the brightest that Aqua had ever seen on him. She regarded the look. Jack had been quite adamant to come to the bakery. Was it just for sweets? Was it so he could see Rapunzel? He had gotten upset when she mentioned being on friendly terms with Zack. She couldn't begrudge him the friends he had before he met her. Still, if Jack knew everyone in town, it only strengthened the fact that she was an outsider looking in. Surrounded by unfamiliar faces at every turn.

"You're a saint."

The woman laughed. She shook her head, as if exasperated with Jack's jokes. Though, Jack always seemed to be in the mood for jokes. Aqua regarded Jack. She was learning so much about him in their few hours out. He was a playful sort and prone to moments of over exaggeration. He had moments of seriousness, like when he apologized to her or he asked her of her feelings for Zack. He hadn't needed to worry, despite everything that happened, she had made a promise to marry him in order to end the war. No matter her feelings for Jack (either for or against) she intended to follow through.

"So, is this the lovely bride to be?"

Jack nodded, he motioned to Aqua, who took that as her cue to curtsey to the baker. It was only proper manners. The woman blushed furiously. Rapunzel put a flour dusted hand to her face to try to fight off the blush that spread across her cheeks. Aqua straightened and hastily looked away. She supposed it was rather silly of her to curtsey to a baker. But she had never really spent much time around the commoners of her own town.

"Oh pish posh! None of that here, Princess!" she scolded, though she looked pleased.

"Rapunzel, this is Princess Aqua of Verona."

Aqua tensed, expecting a negative reaction to her country of origin. Most of the people here had to see her kingdom as the aggressor in the war. Aqua certainly did. Her father had made no moves towards peace despite the many battles. Her father would never have given up or given in if the choice of her marriage had been his decision. Jack asked her and Aqua was tired of watching her people suffer. Instead of hissing or spitting at her, Rapunzel considered her, looking her up and then down before up again.

"Verona, huh? What did you get in the way of baked goods there?"

"Oh… um, I wasn't ever really allowed to have sweets."

Both Jack and Rapunzel stared at her in shock. She had been denied second helpings at meals. She had to be skinny and pleasing to the eye for her future husband. She had to be quiet and obedient. She had to think of what her husband wanted her to be and strive to be it. However, with Jack, it was backwards. He asked her opinion of things. He teased her and jabbed her with witty remarks. He wanted her to be happy even if that meant he was unhappy. He put her well-being above his own. She had never met anyone to ever do that.

"You have to try one of her cinnamon rolls! They're amazing!" Jack insisted.

Rapunzel laughed and removed a hot sticky icing laced bun from a hot pan. She held out the doughy treat to Aqua as Jack handed over a few coins. Aqua could see the steam wafting off the sweet bun. She suddenly squirmed when she found herself the center of attention as she lifted the cinnamon roll. It seemed rude to turn the sweet down, especially since Jack was paying for them.

She took a bite of the sweet roll. The sweet icing and warm sugary bun sat on her tongue. Her eyes closed in bliss. She had never had anything so wonderful. It reminded her of slow lazy autumn mornings, the smiles the staff used to give her before her father grew strict and trying to stay in bed while the blankets were still warm. Before she could stop herself, she made an obscene noise of pleasure. It wasn't until she heard Rapunzel giggling and saw the rather startled expression on Jack's face had she realized what she had done. She thickly swallowed the bite of the treat.

"I am so sorry," she whispered as mortification crept over her.

"Don't be! That's one of the best compliments I've had in a long time!" Rapunzel teased.

Aqua still felt the embarrassment crawling through her gut. It was very unladylike and she could just hear her father's lectures now. She half expected one from Jack. How no one would want a wife that couldn't even keep a lid on her emotions. But he was smiling at her, recovered from his shock. Jack almost even seemed to be happy that she had enjoyed the sweet as much as she had.

"Don't worry. I'll send you a few to go," she giggled.

She pulled out wax paper and bundled six sweet sticky buns in it. The paper was then wrapped in cloth. Jack grinned. As he moved to reach for it, Rapunzel pulled it back and fixed him with a stern glare. Aqua blinked in surprise. No commoner would have dared to be so bold with her or her brother, though Aqua seldom ever got to go outside. If she had gone into a shop, it was with her armed escort. It was always "yes your majesty" or "anything for you, your majesty" or "have a good day, your majesty." They were always too afraid of upsetting her to even tease like this.

"Now, Jack, that's two each!" Rapunzel scolded with a finger wag. "I saw Bunny outside!"

Jack held up his hands in innocence before taking the bundle. Aqua looked at the sweet in her hand. She would have to finish it. Only right now seemed to be a very bad time. Rapunzel reached out and put a hand on hers. She then offered Aqua the same wax paper she used on the other buns. Gratefully, Aqua wrapped up the sweet. It too was then wrapped in a bit of cloth to help keep fresh.

"Thank you," Aqua said shyly.

Rapunzel flashed a smile as warm as the baked goods in her shop. Aqua felt the embarrassment ebb away. It was hard not to feel comfortable around Rapunzel. She treated Aqua as if she were any other customer. She treated Jack as if he were an old friend, just stopping by for a visit. It might be unprofessional, but Aqua wouldn't deny that she liked that about the little bakery.

"Come on Aqua, let's go," Jack smiled.

Aqua let Jack lead her out of the bakery. Bunny was waiting outside, seemingly amused by the whole exchange. Aqua felt her cheeks heating up once again. Had he heard everything? With ears like his, it was likely impossible for him to not have heard. She wanted to crawl into a hole and die from embarrassment. But, not stopping for a second, Jack took a few steps away from them before facing his companions.

"Hey, let's go to the tavern!" Jack said.

"The tavern? Really mate?" Bunny asked in shock and horror.

Aqua looked up at the shop sign. Seventh Heaven. A stone building with the smell of food and ale wafting outside. She could hear patrons inside, happy and bustling through their day. The same as everyone else in the village. It was like the people of the village hadn't seen war. They were far happier than the people that Aqua saw in her village. They wore the efforts of the war like a shroud. It weighed down their every action. There was even talk of rations for the villagers. The war was not going well for her father. And yet, it was the 'winning' side that were the ones to propose a truce. Her father very well would have kept fighting until the kingdom was in ruins.

"The Seventh Heaven is one of the best taverns the city has to offer."

"It's a tavern," Bunny deadpanned.

Aqua looked between them. While they were discussing whether or not they go to the bar as if she weren't there, she looked at the building. Her father would have frowned upon it. What would the people think if a Princess was seen in a drinking establishment? But this wasn't Verona. This was Guardia. They had a different way of thinking about things. Then there was the baker who treated her as if she were just a normal client. Would it be the same in the bar? Different? Would people recognize her? A small rebellious part of herself whispered to do it. When was the next time she would ever get to do something just because she wanted to?

"It's okay. I want to see it," she said.

"You do?" the two men chorused.

Aqua nodded. She was afraid to speak. She was fighting against her newfound bravery for the request and her instilled disposition to be a good obedient child. Jack's smile made her tension melt away. He didn't make her feel guilty for wanting things that she shouldn't want. Or shame her for wanting them despite it being unladylike. He didn't seem to care if she was prim and proper at all. She was being allowed to be selfish.

Jack smiled and took her arm in his. Bunny opened the door for them. The bar was packed inside. Patrons were seated at wooden benches and tables. There was a warm chatter that filled the room. Happy jovial laughter. However, when they entered the room the mood died instantly. Aqua flinched and wondered if this wasn't a bad idea. She gripped Jack's arm. The Prince seemed oblivious to the new tension in the room. He guided her to a table in the corner of the room.

"Jack, maybe this isn't a good idea." she whispered.

"Relax," he encouraged. "They're not used to anyone from your kingdom."

"We've been at war so long some o' the kids 'ere 'ave neva met yer folk," Bunny added.

Aqua glanced around the room. People had gone back to what they were doing, however they eyed her like they expected her to pull a knife. She looked down. Perhaps it was too much to wish that she could pretend to be a commoner just for a day. Her hair made her stand out too much. No one else in the room looked like her. Except for Jack and his white hair.

Jack looked up when the music began to play. Bunny had removed a set of pipes from his tunic and began to play something. Aqua looked up to see Jack getting to his feet.

"Dance with me," Jack requested.

Aqua realized that Jack was practically like one of the Princes in a fairytale story. He held out his hand, waiting for her to take it. A protest rose in her throat. There were a million reasons she couldn't and shouldn't dance with him. She only knew formal dances. She didn't know local dances to Guardia. Then there was the fact that everyone was staring at her. But Jack's smile once again disarmed her. She wondered if he used magic on her when she got to her feet.

Jack led her to her center of the room. He waited for a beat and then began to lead her through a simple dance. He stopped to twirl her, sending her skirts billowing around her legs before pulling her back in just as quickly. He linked his arm with hers twirling her in a circle. She found herself staring. Caught by the joy lighting his features. The signs of laugh lines in the making on his face. The glee of every step. The way her skin warmed under his touch. Butterflies danced in her stomach the same way they did.

When the song finished, Aqua realized she was extremely close to Jack. So close she could feel his breath on her skin. She swallowed before stepping back. Her breath came out in a whoosh. She tried not to think about how she could have kissed him. Then she heard clapping. The patrons of the tavern had watched as they danced. Aqua bit her lip but Jack knew just what to do. He grinned and flourished a bow before the audience.

"Show off!" someone cried.

And like that, the tension melted away. Aqua let Jack lead her to their table. Bunny appeared to be smiling but it was hard to tell with the shape of his mouth. Jack went to the bar and ordered a round of drinks. He carried over three tankards. He set the drinks down in front of everyone. Aqua hesitated before reaching for the glass. Yet another thing she wouldn't have been allowed to do - drink alcohol. To her surprise the alcohol burned on the way down, making her cough, but Bunny pat her on the back as she got used to it. The drink was otherwise sweet and rich in a way that she couldn't quite put into words.

"You looked like you had fun!" Jack told Aqua.

"I… I did…"

Sure, she had been embarrassed but… she hadn't ever done anything so spontaneous in her life. It was exhilarating to do something so unplanned. It actually made her feel a little giddy. It's not like her father was around to scold her for it. If anything, she was being encouraged to be a little more adventurous. There were no walls, no barriers, no restraints keeping her in a shape that was already decided for her.

"Hey, mate, ain't that Riku?"

Both Jack and Aqua looked out of the tavern door to see Riku in the crowd outside. He hadn't seen them since he was talking to someone. Both of them were heading past the tavern and down the street. Jack grinned and downed what was left of his ale. Bunny did the same. Aqua gave her half full tankard an apprehensive look. She picked up and tried to follow suit but the alcohol burned on the way down. She spluttered a cough. Bunny was trying not to laugh at her, but Jack had no qualms and did just that.

"Come on! They're getting away!" Jack encouraged.

She nodded. Still coughing and wheezing, she tried to follow after Jack but stumbled. He took her by her hand and carefully led her out. They raced down the street, trying to catch up to Riku and the young woman he was talking to. Though, Jack didn't seem to think they should try a quiet approach. Aqua was distinctly reminded of a bull in a china shop. Stampeding through to get to his goal. Bunny was swearing as he tried to keep up with them.

When Riku turned to look over his shoulder, Aqua was yanked into an alley by Jack. Before she could even yelp, he covered her mouth with his hand. He made a shushing noise, holding a finger to his lips. His eyes danced with mischief. She swallowed thickly. Her tongue felt glued to the roof of her mouth even when Jack let her go. He peered over the corner, checking to see if Riku was still there.

Riku and his friend had continued their stroll. Aqua frowned. His companion was definitely a woman but she wore a cloak to keep off the chill of the night that Aqua had quickly learned that Guardia had. The sun was starting to shift, to the later part of the afternoon. Come evening Aqua would need to go back to the castle because she didn't bring a cloak with her. She peered around the corner, trying to get a better look at the woman.

"A girl?" Jack asked. "That's what has been bringing him to the city?"

"Jack?"

"Yeah?"

"We should let them be."

Jack turned to look at her, regarding her carefully. Then he smiled and nodded. Aqua wanted to give Riku a little bit of privacy if he had worked so hard to get it in the first place. No one wanted their little brother following around like a little shadow, snooping and spying. Jack's siblings hadn't done that to Jack. It would be unfair if she and Jack started that now. Besides, she spotted a familiar dress beneath the cloak. One she had seen early that morning in the bakery.

"Yeah, you're right," he agreed. "Besides, we found out what we wanted to know. And we had fun!"


	16. Hooves and Heartbeats

A few days after taking Aqua into town, he decided that he was going to go riding. His horse had been neglected in his time trying to woo the Princess and he felt guilty for it. However, it seemed that he would have company on his outing. Not that Jack minded. He always enjoyed a bit of company. Jack saw a rider cantering over the fields. She was nearly parallel with him. Her skirts billed behind her as she rode astride (like a man) not aside like most ladies of the court. Her head was low to her horse's back. Her short blue hair rustling as she urged her powerful mount on. With a shock of delight, Jack recognized the rider as Aqua. He had no idea she rode horses. Or that she even liked them.

Even more shocking was her mount. The enormous beast beneath her charged like a thunderstorm. It was none other than Peachblossom - a warhorse with a bad attitude problem and the bane of the stables. The horse was known for his bad habit of biting his handlers. He was otherwise tempestuous on the best of days and impossible on his worse. Jack waved her down. She did a double take before waving in return. His horse stirred anxiously beneath him, as if sensing Jack's intentions. He gestured to a tree that wasn't too far ahead of them.

Jack grinned and cupped his hands over his mouth "I'll race you!"

He was too far from her to see the way she perked up but he did see her click her heels against Peachblossom's side. Her mount went faster and even effortlessly jumped a fence before Jack could even have his mount react. He tore after her but her horse's longer legs at the distance ahead of her, leaving him behind in the dust. Not that he minded. He had never seen her so joyous before. The wind stole their laughter as they went.

She defeated him by a landslide. It made his pride sting a little, but he did have to remember, her horse was also stronger than his. By the time Jack made it to the apple tree, she was pacing Peachblossom to cool him down. She was crooning softly to him. Telling the horse how good he was and how well he had performed. Jack had never seen anyone manage that horse before except for its former knight. He was practically a monster. No one ever got close to Peachblossom after his former master passed in battle. Jack let his stallion Rebel slow to a trot so he wouldn't overwork himself.

"I had no idea you rode!" Jack cried once he made it up to her.

Aqua looked up at him, he was suddenly struck by how beautiful she was. Her hair was windswept. Her cheeks flushed pink from exhilaration. There was a light in her eyes that Jack had never seen on her. In fact, she practically glowed from sheer happiness. That was a look that he had wanted her to have for a while. He didn't want her to be scared of her own shadow, or uncertain about her place within the castle. She wasn't going to get kicked out and nothing she did would ruin the alliance.

"Father disapproves," she said, "But I used to sneak out to ride before he gave her to my brother."

"He gave away your horse?!" Jack gasped.

Aqua nodded. She looked to Peachblossom. She lovingly stroked the horse's neck. Then she reached up and picked two apples from the branch over her head. She tossed one to Jack. He fumbled but caught it. Rebel barely gave an ear twitch when She turned the apple in her hands, as if considering whether or not it was good or not. Clearly, she was lost in thought over things that Jack couldn't help fix or make go away.

"Chestnut…" Aqua said. "She broke her leg so Vanitas put her down."

"I… I'm so sorry."

Aqua wore her sorrow with grace. She hadn't spoken to Vanitas for nearly six months because of that. She had loved that horse dearly. Even when she had spoken to him, it had been curtly for another nine months after that. She still never completely forgave her brother. That horse deserved better than what she got. Working to death on a farm with a cruel owner would have been better than what her brother had done. But her brother, she was now starting to realize after watching Jack and his siblings, was not a good sibling to her. It stung to realize this.

"Jack, they said that Peachblossom was going to go to the slaughter house," she whispered.

"He… has a history of attacking his riders."

Aqua looked up at him. Her heart was breaking for the horse and she had barely been with him for over an hour. When she had overheard, she had gone into the stables to observe this 'problem' horse. What she saw was a defeated creature that knew what was coming, but there had been a fire in his eyes and a defiance in his stare when he met her gaze. She hadn't even realized she had climbed into the stall and was cinching a saddle on him until he had looked at her, waiting for her to climb onto his back. Then he burst out of the stall once she was situated and they leapt the gate (as well as a few stablehands who ran like their lives depended on it).

"Jack I-"

"Do you want him?"

Aqua sucked in a breath. She tried to contain her joy but it was like asking a star not to shine (in Jack's opinion). Still, she hesitated. A creature like Peachblossom would be important in his line of work. Jack knew that she desperately wanted to say yes, one, because it would save Peachblossom's life, but two, it seemed that she truly did enjoy having Peachblossom at her side. Jack did want to make his future wife happy. It had been so hard to find anything they had in common.

"He's a warhorse…"

"He can retire."

"But… it's undignified for me to-"

"So? Who cares?" Jack asked, before pausing and asking, "How'd you get him in the first place?"

Aqua blushed. She quickly got down from her mount. She removed the bridle from Peachblossom and held up the apple. Jack moved to stop her, expecting the horse to bite, but he took the apple and moved away from her delicate fingers. Jack had almost expected to see blood. It was like Peachblossom was trying to make him into a liar. But maybe the horse had taken a shine to Aqua as much as Aqua had taken a shine to him. Maybe he realized that Aqua was the only thing standing between him and the slaughterhouse.

"I heard them talking about what to do with him," she said, "So I mounted him up and left. I… wanted to at least let him have one last run."

"You must have scared those stablehands!" Jack laughed.

"And the guards," she admitted shyly. "But no one tried to stop me from leaving."

Jack considered her words. She still expected to be prevented from a lot. She acted as if he would trap her there because he felt like it. But he only wanted her to be happy. He did worry though about what she had gone through with her father. Still, he had to do this tactfully, which was not something he had any experience in. He had to be calm and reassuring as many times as it took for her to truly believe that she was safe with him and his family in the castle. They were currently working on undoing a lot of the misconceptions and backwards ways of thinking in his bride but it would take time.

"You've never given anyone a reason to stop you."

"And if I just ran away?"

"Do you want to?"

She paused, considering this. She buried her face into Peachblossom's side. Jack thought it was cute how she was stalling for an answer. Now that he was spending more time with her, he was seeing parts of her that she had been hesitant to show earlier. Instead of the perfect dignified obedient princess, he had seen a rebellious streak and a passion burning in her, followed by an uncertainty. She was discovering herself now that she wasn't under her father's thumb. No one would stop her from doing anything, as long as she didn't cause anyone any harm.

"No."

"If you wanted to go we could help you."

"But I don't."

Jack smiled. He climbed down off his mount. When freed from his bridle, Rebel all but snapped up his apple. Jack grinned. He knew Rebel was a spoiled creature. Jack had been terrible about showering him with whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted it. But he couldn't have asked for a better mount. Rebel had been through his side through thick and thin. It had been so hard to leave him behind when he went to propose the alliance with Aqua, but he didn't want his horse to suffer if things had gone sideways and he got himself killed. He would never forgive himself it his horse had to pay the consequences.

"I'm glad to hear it," Jack said.

And he was. It meant that Aqua was warming up to life in Guardia. Plus, she was opening up to him. She told him things about herself like the fact she had a soft spot for horses. If Jack were honest with himself, now that Aqua was more open, he was starting to like her. And maybe, just maybe, this marriage of theirs wasn't doomed after all. He knew it was far too soon to expect love, but it didn't seem that wasn't off the table just yet.

"How did you charm the beast?" Jack asked.

"Beast?"

"Peachblossom is the bane of the stables. He's broken toes and bites to draw blood."

Aqua's stare was nothing short of flummoxed. Like she couldn't imagine the huge horse to be so cruel. The whole castle knew to leave Peachblossom be or to give him a wide berth in the pastors lest they want to risk his wrath. Even speaking of him putting him down would warrant an entire squad to drag him out of the stables. Aqua appeared to have charmed the creature with little more than a smile and a sugar cube. Jack had never seen the stallion so docile before. Needless to say it was unnerving. The horse had to be plotting something.

"That… he isn't like that, is he?"

"No one has been able to ride him after his former owner fell in battle."

Aqua gently ran her hand over the horse's side. Peachblossom moved as if to bite her. To prove he was as big and bad as Jack's stories. Aqua moved her hand out of the way. She fixed the horse with a stern glare.

"None of that," she scolded.

The horse snorted, as if admonished. She shook her head fondly and went back to petting him, trying to brush his coat without a brush. The horse didn't scare her. Jack wondered if anything did. She always seemed to keep a tight lid on her emotions. Except for when she was flustered. Jack laughed as he watched them. Peachblossom was practically a new horse with Aqua. She brought out a new side to the creature. Aqua looked so happy that Jack almost felt like his heart would burst in joy for her.

"What is your horse's name?" Aqua inquired.

"This is Rebel," Jack said proudly.

He had owned Rebel since he was a colt. Now his stallion stood proud at his side. Aqua took one step towards the stallion but Peachblossom bit the back of her dress. She laughed before gently removing her fabric from his teeth. Her hand went under his chin and gave it a scratch. The look in her eyes was one of fond amusement and Jack felt his breath hitch. He couldn't be jealous of a horse could he? That would be ridiculous especially since he needed her to confirm she hadn't had feelings for Zack the other day.

"Jealous thing, aren't you?" she teased. "I'm only going to say hello."

Peachblossom snorted again. Aqua took a step and then waited, gauging the reaction of either horse. When Peachblossom didn't stop her, she took another. Then she turned to Rebel, waiting for the horse to acknowledge her first. Jack's stallion was curious. He left Jack's side and plodded over to her before lipping at her dress. She laughed and gently guided his head away from her dress. Was Aqua a secret horse speaker? Magic to communicate with animals was rare even in Guardia.

"Hush. I'll give you one later."

"One?"

"I might have taken a few sugar cubes from a tray at breakfast," she confessed.

"I bet you're a favorite with all the horses," Jack teased.

"Today was my first day in the stables!"

Jack smiled. It meant that she was venturing out more. Going through the castle with more confidence than before. She wasn't as scared as she had been. That in itself was a relief. Maybe she would even start having meals with the royal family again? She had shied away from any sort of meal time with them after that first disastrous night. One step at a time, he couldn't push too hard too fast. He had already done enough to make things tense between them by lying, but… even that too seemed like ages ago now that they were moving past it. But not completely forgotten.

"You know you can go as much as you want," he said.

"I know that now."

She ducked her head before trying to side step Rebel, who was far more occupied with trying to eek out a sugar cube from her pocket. Jack put a hand on his horse to keep him from chasing her. Though, that would have been a little amusing. Aqua trying to dance out of the way of a treat eager horse. Jack would keep that from happening because Rebel was properly fed by the stablehands. He was, after all, a royal mount. They couldn't keep giving him apples and sugar cubes otherwise he would be a very fat horse. At least he would be happy, Jack supposed.

"You know, I was starting to think you had no sense of fun."

"What do you mean?' she asked.

"You hide away in the library with Elsa. I hardly ever see you."

Aqua's face heated up. He was delighted to see her blush. The blue of her hair, framing her face made it impossible for her to deny blushing. The color popped too much, but not in a bad way. She could do with a bit more color in her wardrobe but that was an Elsa situation, not Jack's. His sister was quite serious about fashion. That too was another sign that Aqua was settling in. Because she hadn't gone back to the gowns that her father had sent. She was wearing another simple cotton dress, selected by Elsa. In a cloud blue color with very minor embroidery around the collar, sleeves and hem, but that was it. Light roses in varying colors. But it wasn't that elaborate.

"I've never seen so many books in my life."

"But they're just books."

"I… like books," she said. "Father never wanted a large library…"

Jack decided to note that for the future. She had a soft spot for animals and a passion for books. At least she got on with his family so far. He couldn't say the same with his relationship with her family. Because of him, she would likely never see them again. He tried to make it so she could however her father seemed offended by the alliance. She would likely never see her home again and that made Jack feel guilty. What if she had friends back there that she would never see again? Or pets not much unlike Peachblossom? He had no idea what she had left behind when he whisked her away.

"I suppose I'm not much of a reader," Jack said.

Aqua was silent. She finally removed a sugar cube from her pocket before giving it to Rebel. His stallion greedily lipped her palm as if to find more than just the one. His head bobbed eagerly for another, until his nose was pressed flat against Aqua's stomach. She smiled and ran her hand over the length of his nose before stepping back.

"You haven't found the right one yet."

"May I visit you in the library?" he asked.

"If… If you want."

"What about what you want?"

She still looked so surprised that he even considered her desires. Or as if she were considering hers for the first time. Maybe she was. Her father seemed like the oppressive type against her and her people. It didn't even seem like the people of Verona even knew _why_ the war had been fought in the first place. But those things could be remedied with time. He had to ease Aqua into things instead of dropping them on her all at once. She had a lot thrown at her to accept at once. No need to add more to that plate until she was ready for it.

"I… I would like that."

Jack flashed her a smile. They were finally making progress. Tiny steps but all in the right direction. He could almost leap in joy. He probably would. Later. In the privacy of his own rooms. So he didn't weird her out by being too forward. Terra would get on his case if he tried blatant flirting with her so soon after she figured out he lied to her. Not only Terra but Elsa and Riku. His dad would give him that 'I'm not mad I'm disappointed' look that Jack dreaded.

"If I knew you were going to be out here, I would have had a picnic lunch prepared."

"That wouldn't have been necessary."

"But I'm courting you, aren't I? I have to make sure to do this right by both of us."

Her cheeks flushed a dusty rose color. Jack thought the look suited her. She seemed to be prone to it whenever he complimented her or called her out on something. It was rather cute. Jack couldn't help but smile at her. He liked being able to see past her calm, cool and collected exterior. When she was shy and easily flustered, he felt better because he truly felt the same way. He didn't know how to go about courting someone who he was already engaged to, let alone courting someone in general. Sure he had flirted, but none of that meant anything because he had been teasing when he had done it.

"W-We don't have an escort."

"Peachblossom is escort enough right now," Jack laughed. "I don't think he would let anyone hurt you."

But she was right. It was improper to go galavanting around without an escort. Warhorse or not. Despite the fact that Peachblossom had trampled men to death for less. Aqua still looked skeptical. Jack wasn't about to prove to her that she had the most feared mount in the castle wrapped around her little finger. He liked being whole. Though he understood her point. She was alone with her fiance - a guy she barely knew. She couldn't just be assured that he wouldn't try anything improper by his word alone. Not when he had lied to her to begin with.

"I promise, next time, there will be an escort."

"Next time?"

"We can go riding more often. You'll have to if you really do take him on."

Aqua looked at Peachblossom. She was the only thing keeping him from the slaughterhouse. They had strapping young men probably searching everywhere for the escapee mount, up in arms or frantically searching. They would catch him, drag him on ropes and tethers to his death. He would neigh, stamp, kick and whinney. The thought made Aqua's heart clench. Jack could just see that look in her eyes.

"I want him, Jack. Please, don't let them hurt him."

It was the first time she was being selfish. It was also the most heartfelt pleading Jack had ever heard. Not for herself but for the horse. When she agreed, Jack felt like a weight was taken off his shoulders. Because this time he was allowed to gift her with something and she was accepting it. Even if it was a horse that she was trying to save. His father might give him a hard time later about giving her the problem horse but… Peachblossom wasn't fighting her in the least, wasn't even giving her a hard time. Maybe the horse was problematic for the others because they weren't the right rider. Horses could be fickle sometimes.

"I promise," Jack agreed. "But… let's get back to the castle before someone sends out a search party for a rogue charger."

Aqua nodded. She returned to Peachblossom's side and the duo worked to get their horses back into their brindles. Right before he could ask if she needed any help, she swung up into the saddle. Her skirts pooled around her. Maybe later he would suggest Elsa give Aqua some more appropriate riding clothes. She would be able to wear breeches and a tunic if she wanted to. It would be easier for her to move about but ultimately it was her choice.

"You don't ride side saddle?"

"You try riding side saddle on him!"

Jack laughed. She had a fair point. Peachblossom was at least 17 hands tall. At least 1 or 2 hands taller than his Rebel. He swung himself into his saddle. He could get used to spending time with her like this. It was laid back, casual, no pressure environment for her to get to know him. He wondered if being around the others made her shier or more hesitant. Now he had his way to get to know her - through a horse.

"Race you back?"

"I don't think it would be good to push them too hard in this heat."

"Then… let's take our time."

It was an excuse to slowly stroll back with her and spend more time with her. One that Jack would gladly use.


	17. The King's Council

After that day of riding, she and Jack fell into an easy routine. She would share morning tea and breakfast with Elsa in the library. Then she would go riding with Jack and an escort. It was always a knight or on occasion Bunny himself. They would break for a picnic lunch. Afterwards, Jack would reluctantly leave. He had princely duties he had to do. He parted easier when Aqua promised to have dinner with him those days he was particularly reluctant to leave. It made her stomach squirm when he flashed her a dazzling smile, soft and tender around the edges, a warmth in his eyes and a nod of agreement.

With her afternoons free, she took to exploring the castle. It was going to be her home after all. She would hate to get lost in it. Thankfully, the servants were nice (and understanding) when she did get turned around before directing her on the right path. The servants were another thing that took some getting used to. Back in Verona, they shied away from the nobles. The environment was completely different. More than once, Jack had asked someone about their day, or how their family was, or if they needed anything.

And the servants responded in kind. They greeted him, smiling and drew him in for idle chit chat. She would sometimes standby, suddenly feeling like a third wheel until they drew her in as well. She was partially overwhelming to have that much attention paid to her but… it also made her relax. No one said anything bad about her or if they did, not where she could hear it. They didn't treat her like she was an enemy encroaching in their safe place or twisting their prince against them.

But Jack knew everyone in the palace by name. He knew about their families. He knew about their friends. He asked about those who had recovered from illness or injury. He knew about the harvest and told them to pass on the message that the castle was willing to by excess grains and produce for the winter. Watching him was truly amazing. He cared for his people, truly genuinely cared about them. He didn't act like the uppity nobles from Verona who would have wrinkled their noses in disgust over the royals of Guardia - the royals who worked in the stables, or mended clothes with the servants, or trained with the knights.

It left her feeling rather… odd. There was a warmth in her chest that was uncomfortable to the point of feeling tight like trying to over stuff a pillow. The feeling was all encompassing but it seeped through her entire body. She was bursting at the seams with this feeling. She had never felt this way before about anything and it made her head swim as she wracked her mind, trying to name what it was.

He never forced his presence on her. He asked if she wanted to go riding with him. He asked if she would take lunch or dinner with him. He didn't even touch her unless offering his hand to hers or the one rare moment when he caught her when her heel caught on the hem of a new gown Elsa had gotten for her (just a hair too long). They had been incredibly close and she had been all too aware of just how so when she saw his lips just within distance of hers. She blushed and hastily straightened herself, ignoring the pang of cold that came from removing herself from his hold.

But it was on one of their lunch outings that things took an awkward turn.

"The… Council wants to meet you."

"They what?"

The Council was North's closest advisers and would be the next heir's Council - be that Riku, Elsa or Jack. She swallowed thickly. After being there for nearly two months already, she hadn't met them. She was afraid to. If they were anything like her father's Council, they would look down on her and sneer. They would mutter things about her not being good enough, not being worthy of the prince and maybe North would reconsider the alliance. Then where would that leave her? Or her country? Her father wouldn't come to get her and the people of Guardia might not be so kind to her on her own.

"They want to meet you." Jack said as he shifted in his spot. "Today?"

Aqua winced. Not only did they want to meet her, but they wanted to give her little to no time to gather her wits about her. She couldn't back out now. Not when she had nowhere else to go if they didn't end up getting married. Her father would never take her back. Her people would see her as a failure or a traitor. She wasn't sure which would be worse. But she could feel Jack's eyes on her, as well as the eyes of their escort - a soldier named Biggs. For a moment, the only noise was the three horses munching on grass and a whinny from Rebel.

"Okay, when?"

"After lunch."

Only years of practice kept a calm, collected look upon her face. Inwardly, she was screaming in terror. Was this sprung upon Jack to then pass on to her? Did he just not tell her before now? Was he trying to ease her into the idea of it? She looked to her nearly empty plate. After dropping that bomb on her, she didn't think she could eat another bite. Her stomach was already roiling in protest. She pushed the plate aside, trying to get as much distance between her and the food.

"I'll be with you the whole time," Jack assured her.

She tried to contain her surprise but clearly he saw it. Jack took her hand within his. She was surprised to find his skin slightly cold to the touch. Automatically, she squeezed back, as if to share her warmth. Jack normally didn't reach out to her let alone touch her. It was as if he were afraid to. Like she might break if he did something wrong. Or that she might run from him. She bit her lip. She was the one who made him think that, by running after he lied. By hiding herself away.

"I know it's a bit intimidating," he said, "But you don't have to be afraid. They're really nice people."

She nodded. It would be impossible for her to deny meeting these men, especially if she was expected so spend the rest of her days there. If Jack did end up ruling, then she would need to be on good terms with the people there. No matter how nervous it made her to meet these powerful individuals. If she had Jack at her side, she could withstand whatever was being thrown at her. She hadn't expected to rely on him as heavily as she did, but he was her guide and protector in the new kingdom.

* * *

Jack led her through the castle. They were heading to one of the studies near his father's quarters to meet the council. As they walked along, Aqua's gaze flickered to the portraits. She stopped walking when she saw a portrait of the full Frost family, including the former Queen. She was sitting on a throne with North standing behind her. Her hair was a sort of platinum blonde that was braided ornately. With eyes like moonlit stars and a fair complexion that matched that of her children. Clothed in velvet that seemed to match the night sky.

In her lap sat a young Jack, smiling at the artist or the onlooker with his two front teeth missing. His tiny jerkin had snowflakes embroidered into it. At his side was Elsa, small, uncertain, dressed much like her mother. On his other side was Riku, trying to look imposing at the tender age of eight. But just looking at the family made Aqua's heart seize because… that's how a family should have been. That was the family she had always wanted when she was a little girl. The family she had stopped wishing for because wishes never came true.

"What is - oh…" Jack murmured. "That's mom."

"What was your mom like?"

Jack paused, as if considering this. She didn't remember her own mother. The woman had passed away shortly after giving birth to her. Aqua grew up in the arms of many nannies and nurses who only tended to her needs before going on their way. She remembered being scolded for misbehaving or doing things 'unladylike'. Her tutors were the worst. But upon staring up at the portrait and seeing the sheer love and happiness practically vibrating off the canvas, Jack's childhood was much different from hers.

"She was...incredibly kind hearted, and she loved children. But she was always somewhat...reserved. Dad says it's because she came from a bad family before the marriage," Jack said.

Bad family? Aqua shifted uncomfortably next to him. Was that supposed to have some sort of double meaning? She didn't give him the benefit of reacting. She just waited for him to go on, which seemed like the right decision, since he needed to gather his thoughts to continue. But the look in his eyes as he described her was unlike any that Aqua had seen. The absolute fondness and sheer force of his sadness struck her. He missed her terribly. She had been in Guardia for nearly three months and didn't miss her family at all. She didn't even lift a quill to write them a letter.

"I only saw that side a few times. She was able to smile and laugh with us for a time… But then, one day a magic duel went wrong..." He trailed off before saying, "You can figure out the rest."

She stared at him in surprise. Out of the two of them, he should have been the one afraid of magic if it had taken his mother. She could see the tension in his shoulders, the dejected look upon his face, and the sadness in his eyes. Hesitantly, she placed her hand on his forearm. He looked up at her in surprise. She knew that what she said next was going to be important for the both of them but speeches fled her mind. Flowery condolences weren't his thing so she went for the honest truth.

"I'm so sorry Jack... I wish I could have met her."

For once, Jack's face went flush and he hastily looked away, gesturing at the picture. Realizing a topic change was at hand, she let it happen. She knew there were topics that were hard to talk about and there were things she wasn't ready to share with the world either. And she found herself relaxing around him. This made him seem… more human, more approachable when he had things that were difficult for him or things that made him look less than perfect. She looked up at his beaming face in the portrait. He had never smiled like that around her. Bright and becoming of course, but never that radiant.

"Riku made me so mad. He said I looked like a walrus!"

"You were a little kid, Jack," she soothed. "Everyone loses their baby teeth."

"That jerkin was itchy, too!"

"Formal wear is never comfortable."

Jack smiled at her, his eyes twinkling. Yes, she had toughed out wearing the gowns her father sent her with only because she didn't want to be a bother and ask her in laws for more than they had already given her. But it seemed they liked providing for her. They wanted to see her happy and comfortable. It was unlike anything she had ever expected from the Guardia royalty and it surprised her at every turn. She could even ask for a dragon and they were likely to try and deliver on it.

"It seems you've come into Guardia fashion just fine." he remarked.

"Elsa's doing," she replied. "Though, I don't miss the gowns she… confiscated."

Who knew what Elsa was doing with the ball gowns that Aqua's father had sent? It was likely better not to ask. Elsa was like a one woman army when it came to design and fashion. She had seen to it herself to have Aqua receive an entirely new wardrobe full of the finest dresses Aqua had ever seen. Best of all, they were so comfortable and not to mention beautiful. She didn't have to sacrifice one for the other like with her gowns from Verona. No tight corsets with itchy petticoats. It was a relief.

"Oh, we should get going. Don't want to be late."

"Of course."

She had almost forgotten in her distraction that she was going to meet the council. It almost didn't seem so bad since she was relaxed after having spoken with Jack. But she found herself walking just a little closer to him, all the same. Her nerves seemed to have choked her confidence. She took a deep breath when they reached the study where the Council was. Jack gave her a reassuring smile.

There were three old men inside the study. One wearing purple robes made of velvet with moons and stars embroidered in silver. There was a very tall man with blue robes with stars and moons on his hat. Then the youngest (though that didn't count for much) was wearing plain blue robes. They were all crowded around a table, completely oblivious to their guests. Part of her wanted to turn and run. If those old men didn't like her they could convince Jack to call off the wedding and the peace treaty. The thought sat in her belly like an iron weight. So when Jack cleared his throat, it was all she could do not to glare at him. The three wise old men looked up in surprise.

"Oh dear, is it that time already?" the youngest of the three asked. "You must forgive us, my boy. We were caught up in a new star chart from you cousin's Kingdom."

"That's okay," Jack assured them.

There was a mix of relief and understanding on their faces as their gaze drifted to her. Realizing now was far too late to escape the meeting, Aqua forced a smile before curtsying to them, hoping they didn't notice her trembling hands. She knew Jack did and her heart sank when she saw his sympathetic expression. But she faced the three men with her expression betraying nothing of the apprehension she felt. This was almost like being called into her tutor's office when she was a child and she had done something wrong.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," she intoned.

"None of that," scolded the purple robed man.

She regarded them carefully, not sure how to go about conversing with them without any offense. Three strangers and she couldn't get a read on any of them. Their thoughts or feelings. She didn't even know why they wanted to speak to her. The unknown made her stomach churn uncomfortably in her stomach in apprehension.

"Aqua, this is Ombric. He's from my cousin's Kingdom."

The man in purple robes nodded, carding his hand through his long beard as if contemplating something. She looked down but forced herself to meet his gaze once again, lest he think she was far too meek. The women of Guardia, Aqua found, had quite a bit of backbone. If she was ever going to be a part of their town, she was going to have to work past her own demons and her own fears.

"Beside him is Merlin."

The shorter "younger" old man smiled at her kindly. He at least seemed approachable. The other two - Ombric and the other man - looked so stern that she half expected a lecture for her behavior towards Jack. She hadn't been fair and she knew that. She was trying to do better by Jack since he was doing good by her. They were spending more time with each other at least. But she had yet to go out of her way for Jack, to do something special for him…

"And behind them is Yen Sid."

The silent man nodded. His eyes were so piercing that Aqua had to fight the urge to squirm under his gaze. Like he was trying to gaze into her very soul. It took a lot of effort to meet his eye. Jack, seeming to sense her discomfort, put his hand on her forearm, as if to reassure her that he was indeed still there. It helped to know she was not being thrown to the wolves.

"Please, join us! We were about to put on a spot of tea," Merlin insisted.

Aqua was gently led to the table by Jack. She was incredibly thankful that he had taken the lead because she felt numb inside. She didn't even react when a teapot followed by five cups and saucers floated their way over to the table and a cup was poured right in front of her all without anyone lifting a finger to touch the pot or the cup. She did look up in surprise when Jack took the cup and saucer offered to her first and set it down before pushing the cream and sugar to her. Did he know how she took her tea? Had Elsa told him?

A pang of guilt struck her. She didn't know how Jack took his tea or if he took tea at all. As she added the cream and sugar, she vowed silently to learn. Jack had gone to the trouble to learn her preference after all. It was a minor thing but it seemed like he was the only one bending over backwards to make this work. She wasn't sure how she could return the sentiment. She would likely have to ask Elsa for advice or maybe Riku? She hadn't said much to Riku but she would do it if it came down to it.

"Now, how are you settling in my dear?" Merlin asked.

"Settling in?" Aqua echoed.

Was this really just a meeting to check how she was handling moving from Verona to Guardia? And here she thought the worst of the men. That they wanted to convince the Prince to get rid of her. It was then she realized, she liked it in Guardia. She didn't want to go back home because it no longer felt like home. The thought of going back to Verona after all this time left her with a bitter taste in her mouth, one she wasn't sure she liked.

Ombric nodded sagely. "I'm sure you've experienced quite the culture shock. We wanted to give you time to come to grips before we started telling you more about the kingdom."

"So… I didn't do something wrong?" she asked, feeling small.

"Dear girl, what gave you that idea?" Came Merlin's shocked response.

Aqua ducked in her seat, wishing to hide from the many eyes watching her. Jack's were the most prominent but everyone in the room seemed shocked that she would come to such a conclusion. She bit her lip, feeling all the more like a small child under their gaze. Jack reached out, putting his hand on hers as if to reassure her. She took a deep breath, trying to feel comforted by his presence.

"I thought-"

"You believed this was an intervention upon Young Jack's behalf?" Yen Sid surmised.

Aqua blushed. Had she truly been so transparent? She wondered what else she had let slip past her guard. Jack didn't deserve her doubts or her fears now. Not after he had done everything in his power to make up for his initial lie. He gave her time, he gave her space, he gave her peace and when she began to open up, he made sure she wasn't alone, whether through his company or his sister's. He worked so hard already.

"I suppose," Yen Sid said, "That is our fault. We did not explain our intentions."

"We merely wished to meet our Prince's betrothed." Ombric said. "We've been a part of this castle since before he or his siblings were a twinkle in their mother's eye."

Aqua's lips twitched into a smile as Jack groaned.


	18. Freeze the Moment

All should have been calm in the castle, however, a late night visit from Terra, requesting her to come to the King's personal study said otherwise. The armed escort of Cloud and Zack only furthered the suspicion that something was wrong. They wouldn't even let her change from her night clothes into something more proper to meet the King in. So nightgown clad and barefoot, she crept after alert soldiers. Cloud and Zack stayed by her side, while Terra took two more guards with him somewhere else.

"What's going on?" she whispered.

Zack was grim for once in his life. Seeing the normally exuberant man solemn was frightening. He wouldn't look at her either. His gaze was too focused on watching the shadows around them. She wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly cold. Warily casting her glance around, but finding nothing, she scurried after the two guardsmen, sticking close. Surely they would be enough to protect her, right? She didn't know how to fight for herself, despite watching Jack and Terra in the training yard with Elsa. Her father had deemed it improper for a lady. But that was neither here nor there.

"Terra will tell everyone once we're in the King's study." Cloud said.

Aqua bit her lip, fighting to keep back a flood of questions that threatened to burble out. Something was wrong. They didn't want her panicking so they were going to hold off on telling her until she was somewhere that they could contain it. She swallowed anxiously. She was about to ask something else when Zack shoved her to the ground. Blue flames ate away at the carpet where she had once stood, spreading and turning the fabric to dust. A terrified shuddering gasp left her lips.

"Cloud, get the Princes out of here!" Zack ordered.

"Your Majesty…"

Cloud scooped her up with little more ceremony than that. It was as if she weighed nothing to him. Just as he turned to run down the hallway, someone blocked the path. A figure in black with haunting yellow eyes. Cloud set Aqua down before he pulled her behind him, drawing his sword. Realizing their way was blocked, Zack stood on her other side, both of them acting as her human shields with blades drawn. Her heart shuddered in her chest before pounding so loudly she could have sworn everyone in that hallway could hear it.

"Out of the way Fair," one of the men growled. "We're only after the Verona slut."

So this _was_ about her. The royal family wasn't in danger. Just her. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. It wasn't her first time facing down an assassin. She had when she was eight and gain before her sixteenth birthday. Back then, she just screamed and ran for help. Luckily finding it before the worst. Now, her help was already there but outnumbered. But if she gave herself up, then Zack and Cloud would live. Would her death make the peace treaty null? Her heart quaked within her chest. Chances did not sit in their favor. She almost couldn't breathe. She tried to push past the two men to take a step forward -

"Not on your life," Zack spat.

"The Kingdom is already in decline! Don't let the Prince sully himself with that wretch!" a second man growled.

"Her kind slaughtered my village!" Seethed the third.

Their hatred was almost palpable. She could feel it choking her up. If Zack moved, even an inch, she had no doubt that she would die. Slowly and painfully. To appease whatever perceived slight she had done. Though, perhaps, it was nothing of her doing. Instead, they were seeking revenge for something her father had done in the war. They couldn't get to him. She was the only available target that they could lash out upon. Better her than the royal family, right? She had grown fond enough of them that it would at least make her feel guilty if something happened to them because of her.

But if she hadn't been in the castle for more than a week and there were already assassins after her blood, what did this mean for their alliance? Their marriage? For her life? She had no doubts that the Frost family would honor the contract if she died. They were the honorable sort. Her father was the one she would worry about. He would be the one to use her death to spur on a second war. He would use her death to rally allies to his cause, maybe even win it despite having been on the losing end of things before a truce was called.

"Zack-" she tried.

"He said no," Cloud said firmly.

She looked between the two swordsmen. With a horrified awe, she realized they fully intended to fight (and if need be die) for her. They could have left her to the mercy of her assassins if they chose to. Both men drew their swords, taking a defensive stance in front of her. She felt as if the very breath had been sucked clean from her lungs. Wide eyed and horrified, her eyes darted between the men. Zack lunged at the first thug. Her eyes widened when that impossibly large blade was removed from his back. He wielded it like it was no more than a toothpick. The would-be assassin leapt back faster and even more agile than any human she had ever seen.

Blades clashed with fierce violence. Aqua was shoved out of the way by Cloud, but was unable to keep her balance. This wasn't like the assassin's of her past. These men wanted her to suffer for nothing more than existing. She was rooted in her spot as there were yells of fury, the song of steel against steel and grunts of pain. Her life was being decided right in front of her and she was sitting there and doing nothing. She was so pathetic. So uselessly and helplessly pathetic. A part of her screamed to run, to get out of there, but the other was so blinded by her own fear.

She forced herself to look up. One of the men was sneaking up on Cloud. She reached out, his name on her tongue to warn him but too quickly a blade plunged into his back. Her hands immediately curled in, sealing in the scream that nearly escaped her as Cloud dropped to the floor. He winced and would have gotten up if he hadn't been struck in the face by a bone shattering kick. She heard the cartilage of his nose crunch as the hit impacted and his eyes closed.

"Cloud!" Zack shouted.

In his distraction, a spell seized him, flinging him across the room where he collapsed like a rag doll. White hot panic seized her, not for herself, but for her knights. Zack and Cloud were good men. They had families. They had people who were counting on them to come home safely. She could only think about all the good memories she had in the castle with Jack, his family, the guards, even the servants. She didn't want to die. Not at the hands of an assassin. Not when she was finally happy.

"Pathetic."

Shaking, Aqua looked up to see one of the thugs looming over her with sword in hand. Zack's blood still dripped off the blade. She shook her head, trying to form anything - a plea, a shout, something to stop him. The blade was about to come down upon her head. She scrambled back, desperate to get away. Her pulse throbbed so loudly in her ears she could hear nothing else. She threw up her hand, to ward off the strike. Not a lot of good that would do for her. The blade would cut through her skin as easily as it would cut through her.

"S-Stop!" she shouted, throwing up a hand.

The strike never came down upon her. She warily looked up before wishing she hadn't. The trio of assassins were all rooted in their spots as if trapped in stone. Living statues. A terrified cry left her lips. She had done this. She had used magic. Trembling like a leaf she slowly moved towards Cloud, who still lay unmoving. She gave the blond knight a shake. He groaned in agony. Hadn't Terra said magic could be used for good?

But she didn't know how she managed to freeze the men, let alone heal. She was afraid to learn more. All she could do was apply pressure to the wound and hope that it was enough to staunch some of the bleeding. Cloud grimaced at the pressure but didn't complain. How could anyone survive this? Cloud was going to die because she was too afraid. Zack was going to die because he was too noble to leave her to the wolves. Because she hadn't run when she was told to. It wasn't fair.

"Zack?"

The soldier was lying slumped against the wall like a rag doll. There was no one but her. She looked around, finding a small dagger someone had lost in the scuffle. With bloody fingers she took it in hand before cutting strips out of her night dress. Modesty be damned if she was going to let Cloud die. However, the fear started to creep back in. Who knew how long her spell would last? Either way, she had to keep her head. Having a task, a goal to work towards, helped stave off the hysteria biting at the edges of her consciousness.

She forced Cloud up into a sitting position and bound him up the best she knew how. It was a sloppy mess, but hopefully tight enough so that it would help stop the bleeding. Cloud finally cracked open an eye and looked to the haphazard patch job. His glazed painful eyes flickered to Zack.

"I should be dead."

"Cloud, wonder later. Move. Now!" she ordered.

She had never in her life taken that tone with anyone before. She was supposed to be quiet and demure. However, the situation brought forth a change in her, unlike any she could have imagined. She wanted all three of them to survive. She was not going to let these brave men perish for her. With her help, Cloud managed to stand, despite the slow, agonized hiss that left him. She hated pushing him so hard. But she could not carry both of them at once. Cloud's eyes boggled when she managed to lift Zack onto her back, but really, she was going to more or less carry and drag him. He was twice her size and the bulk of his dead weight nearly buckled her knees. She had never lifted anything so heavy in her entire life. Gritting her teeth, she took the first step forward.

"I can-"

"You can lead the way. I can't fight but you can."

Cloud frowned but did as she said. He probably couldn't argue with that. Between the two of them, he was the better swordsman. So they hustled down the hall on full alert for more assassins. Zack was probably the heaviest thing she had ever lifted in her life, but that hardly spoke for much considering she was a royal who never had to work for a thing in her life. She silently vowed to change that. If she lived, she would work so she could help out more in a situation like this.

"How did you do that?" Cloud asked.

"I… I don't know."

* * *

"Aqua!"

Jack ran over to her the moment she, Zack and Cloud entered the study. She nearly collapsed in relief. She had no idea the sight they must have made. All she knew was that Zack was far too heavy for her to drag one more step. She knew they weren't completely out of the woods yet, but she felt that with numbers, they would be safe. With more people who were on their side they wouldn't be at risk of falling to the assassins.

"Zack." She gasped, "He's hurt. Cloud's bleeding."

Riku was at her side in a second, helping to ease Zack off her shoulders. With trembling legs, she slumped onto the floor. Her fright finally catching up to her. A strong hand was placed on her back. It kept her upright. She looked up and a faint tremble ran through her when she locked eyes with North - the King. He looked at her as if he were just as scared as she was. Not of what danger they were in, but for her safety. No one had ever looked at her like that. No one had ever been so scared for her safety. Not even her own father.

"Child, what happened?" North asked.

"Assassins, Your Majesty," Cloud reported when Aqua said nothing, "Just as you feared. Only… they seemed to know the route that we would take the Princess down."

"A deliberate attack?" Riku asked.

"It would appear so."

Aqua curled in on herself when the others looked at her. She was the cause for this. She would be the one at fault if Zack died. He had groaned while she and Cloud dragged him along but other than that, he gave no reaction. As if he were already dead. She shivered and drew her arms up around herself to keep warm or to ward off her own dread, she wasn't sure. It was childish but she longed to go back to bed and pretend that this hadn't happened.

"It's okay. They won't hurt you anymore," Jack assured her.

Jack crossed the room. She cringed when she noticed how slowly he moved, like he thought she was some feral beast that needed taming. She felt the tears welling up in her eyes. Helpless. Hopeless… Pathetic. The words echoed through her head. She had done nothing and Zack could pay for it. How Cloud was even standing surprised her. She swallowed thickly. She wasn't even hurt and yet she was acting like a petulant child.

"Zack… he…"

"I know…"

He reached out to her and before she could protest, she was pinned to his chest in a tight hug. She felt that pressure release. All at once she felt her eyes watering and that impending dread crashed over her. At the same time, she was comforted that he was there, rocking her like she was a small child after a bad dream. Aqua trembled against Jack's frame. Her hands were knotting themselves in the fabric of his shirt. She did this. She had used magic to stop the assassins. It was equal parts relieving as it was terrifying. People from Verona were _not_ supposed to be capable of magic. So how had she managed to do something like stop time for people?

"Your Majesty, there's more…" Cloud said, softer, as if trying not to let Aqua overhear, "The Princess used time magic. The men are still there."

The silence throughout the room was a tangible one. Aqua wanted to squirm in her spot, get away from the eyes that had to be fixated on her. Jack kept her rooted in her spot. For the best really. She was a bundle of raw nerves. A million thoughts raced through her head. She wasn't sure which should be given attention first. But with Jack, carding his hand through her hair. She was distracted. She should have been more cross, more dignified, and protest it. It was nice to have someone to worry about her. Jack may have only cared for their alliance but he was a nice guy.

"Cloud, take some guards and collect the attackers." North said, "Don't take any risks."

Cloud nodded and bowed. He motioned for a few of the guards to follow him. Aqua bit her lip. If they are separated, wouldn't that make them easier to pick off?

"Hey, we won't let anything happen," Jack soothed. "I promise."

She peered over Jack's shoulder to see Elsa and Riku beside Zack. Green light - healing magic - wafted from Elsa's fingertips and over Zack's prone form. The very thing that Aqua hadn't been capable of. His skin stitched together. The bruises faded. Her relief flooded over her when Zack opened his eyes. Though, he gave the room a fright when he jackknifed into a sitting position, reaching for his sword - which was across the room. Aqua lunged forward, putting a hand on his chest and urging him to lie back down.

"It's okay!" she urged. "We got away. Cloud and some of the other guards are going after them."

"But… how?"

Aqua shifted uncomfortably trying to pull away from Jack. He let her but he lingered, as if he expected her to burst into hysterics. Perhaps he wasn't wrong to worry. She hadn't managed to stop crying. Everything she knew was all wrong. Guardia hadn't been violent like her father told her. She used magic to save her own life when her father said that magic was an evil and dark force. Elsa used it to heal Zack. How could forces so good be her enemy all that time when she lived in Verona?

"Aqua, used magic…" Elsa explained.

Zack looked at Elsa in surprise before looking to Aqua. She wrapped her arms around herself, feeling a shiver break across her skin. Jack draped his own cloak over her shoulders and tucked it around her to ward off her chill. He looked as if he had a million things he wanted to say but was holding his tongue out of the worry that she would lash out again. Snap and snarl like some cornered animal.

"I didn't know you could."

"Neither did I."


	19. Magic of the Heart

Aqua woke feeling more comfortable than she had been when she went to sleep. The men who had attacked her had been apprehended and escorted to the dungeon. Zack had woken after his healing, insisting he was fine, but the King ordered him home along with fresh guards to protect everyone in the study. Not being permitted to return to her own bed until they had searched for traps, both physical ones and magical ones. The thought sent a chill down her spine.

She hadn't done anything to anyone in the kingdom. She hadn't even been rude enough to warrant anyone having a grudge. Yet, it seemed that by simply living in their kingdom, she was their enemy. A reminder that no matter what happened, this would never truly be her home.

With a heavy heart, she claimed a small cot when they were brought in. Much to her chagrin, Jack claimed the one next to her. He curled up on the cot and fell right asleep. She tossed and turned, struggling. She wasn't used to sleeping in a room with other people around her, especially not armed guards minding the doors. Or her betrothed right across from her. Just as she was about to give up and find a book to read until dawn, a coolness washed over her. With that, she passed out like a light.

Somehow, some way, during the night, Jack managed to scoot himself as close to her cot as possible. He managed to wrap both arms around her arm in a near python-like hold. The pins and needles shooting up her arm told her this happened a while ago and she was only noticing it now because it was uncomfortable. However, that meant she had to escape. Especially before someone noticed. She struggled to free herself. Unfortunately, he had latched on quite tightly.

She had to wrench her arm away and when she did, his eyes fluttered and he shifted. To her relief, he stayed asleep, just rolling over and his hands were making a grabbing motion for something. Suddenly feeling guilty, she took the blanket and brought it up beneath his chin. Jack snuggled down beneath the blankets, mumbling sleepily. Even Aqua had to admit that it was rather cute.

With that thought, she blushed and hastily looked away, only to find the King staring at her. He was sitting at the desk with a mound of paperwork. However, he wasn't doing any of it. He was smiling, clearly amused by the exchange between the sleeping Jack and Aqua. She ducked her head. Unfortunately, her mortification would not kill her. Nor would the ground swallow her up.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked.

"O-Oh, yes sir."

"That is good." North said, "Please come sit."

He gestured to the chair in front of his desk. Aqua grimaced but seated herself there as he requested. This felt like the many times she was brought before her father after doing something he did not approve of. She wrapped her arms around her chest, trying to make herself as small as possible. Anything to keep him from getting angry with her.

"What happened last night?" North inquired.

"I don't know," she whispered.

Half because she was afraid, half because she didn't want anyone else to overhear. Jack was dead asleep but she hadn't looked to see where Elsa or Riku were, let alone where any of the guards were. She wasn't sure what had happened herself but giving it closer inspection may lead to answers she didn't want.

"Try."

It was a gentle request. A kind one even. But Aqua recoiled as if she was struck. She didn't want to think about what happened. She almost died. Zack and Cloud were hurt for her sake. If those assassins hadn't frozen up the way they had, they would have completed their mission. There would have been 3 bodies.

"I don't…"

"Take your time."

Aqua pursed her lips. She likely wouldn't be able to escape describing what happened now that she wasn't an emotional mess. Still, thinking of her would be assassins sent a chill down her spine. Not to mention, the strange way they stopped. North folded his hands before him, just above his mouth. Aqua was at a loss. She wasn't used to people actually wanting to hear what she had to say. It left her feeling strange.

"Zack and Cloud came to my room and insisted I come here as quickly as possible." she explained. "But on our way those men showed up. Zack… Cloud… They wouldn't walk away."

"Tis job to protect you." North said.

"But they almost died!"

North nodded. He could see the issue. Aqua had never had anyone care so much about her well being enough to lay their life on the line. It left her feeling helpless and perhaps unworthy of the devotion. North knew Zack and Cloud. Neither of them would have fought for her so valiantly if they didn't believe that she deserved it. The Frost family would have to work on that opinion of herself.

"They would be ashamed if anything happened to you."

"But I-"

"Are Jack's fiance and their friend," North said firmly.

Aqua's grip around herself tightened. To the point of her grip nearly going white knuckled. She thought back to that moment. It was so hard to dredge up because she had been terrified out of her wits. Zack lying unconscious. Cloud bleeding. Blood… so much blood. But the man froze when she screamed for him to. All of them did. She hadn't been able to look a gift horse in the mouth so she ran for it. Taking Cloud and Zack with her.

"In the end, you did the saving," North said. "You used magic."

Aqua could feel the blood draining from her face. Dread flooded through her entire being. People in her kingdom died because they could use magic. Her father had gotten to the point where it was immediate grounds for execution on the spot. No formal trial. No hangings. Just immediate death. If her father knew… he would have her killed on the spot. Had he known? Was that why he didn't shower her with as much affection as he showed Vanitas?

"How?" she croaked.

"Everyone is capable of magic." he said.

She bit her lip. If everyone was capable of magic, then people in her kingdom died needlessly. Her father killed people who couldn't help it if they used magic anymore than they could help breathing. Then again, comparing Verona to Guardia was like comparing night and day. Enough so that the two countries may as well as have been two entirely different worlds. Verona was bleak and almost lifeless but Guardia was vibrant and the most joyous place.

"Tis lot to take in," North said.

He pat her on the head. Aqua blinked. She couldn't remember the last time an adult looked at her with such paternal kindness. Her own father had never been affectionate. Her eyes began to prickle. The first signs of tears as her vision blurred.

"You are strong and brave. You can do it."

He didn't say anymore after that as she wept.


End file.
